showrecentpostswiththumbs({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-23T01:43:44.700-08:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Live And Direct"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Where We Wax Poetically About Live Shows"},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026orderby\u003dpublished"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d26\u0026max-results\u003d25\u0026orderby\u003dpublished"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"70"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"25"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-1714551681723165656"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-23T01:16:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-23T01:38:56.728-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"snoop dogg"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Snoop Dogg @ Club Nokia 11/19/09"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpWWRzHrQI/AAAAAAAAEdY/jbNEXFr4llY/s1600/Snoop_CWG002.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpWWRzHrQI/AAAAAAAAEdY/jbNEXFr4llY/s400/Snoop_CWG002.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407229243346627842\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhotos By: \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_5DbHxuOVNg\" href\u003d\"http://www.edwardhanniganphotography.com/\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eEd Hannigan\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Ed’s Snoop Dogg photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_nO1edP0yDt\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622840524098/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you’re not a fan of Snoop Dogg, you truly lack any sense of taste, musical knowledge, or history. Trust me, I know these things; I’m the editor of a magazine. Personally, I’m a long-time fan of Snoop (so is my mother).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ci\u003eDoggystyle\u003c/i\u003e was the very first album (tape, actually) that I ever owned. One of the kids in my 4th grade class gave it to me after his mother caught him listening to it, and informed him that his taste in uber-classic West Coast Gangsta shit was inappropriate for a 10-year-old. But was it? At 9-and-a-half years old, I didn’t think so! I would sit in my room for hours listening to Snoop’s first solo record. I often went to bed listening to the tape. I used to fast-forward past “Lodi Dodi,” because it wasn’t a very good song, and “Serial Killer” because it scared me; after all, I was only 9. I’d even go as far as to say that \u003ci\u003eDoggystyle\u003c/i\u003e helped shape me into the distinguished young man that I am today.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOne day, like and idiot, I managed to get my copy of the tape confiscated. My mom and I had been driving home from summer camp when I suddenly asked, “Mom, what does ‘nigga’ mean?”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI had never heard that particular word before (before \u003ci\u003eDoggystyle\u003c/i\u003e that is), and was genuinely confused about its meaning. A look of absolute disgust and horror overtook my mother’s face as she slammed on the breaks and yelled, “Where did you learn that word?!?! At Camp?!?!”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“No,” I replied, “I heard Snoop say it… numerous times.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Snoopy? The Peanuts character? That doesn’t make any sense!”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“No! Snoop Dogg!”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Who’s Snoop Dogg?”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“The best rapper ever!”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhen we got home, I showed her the tape. Remember the cartoon/comic strip that made up the cover art for \u003ci\u003eDoggystyle\u003c/i\u003e? It chronicled a typical day in the life of my Uncle Snoop, that involved getting high on Hocus Pocus (stress, cess, or ‘bad weed’), brandishing several handguns at neighbors (everyone in the comic was depicted as half dog, half man, mind you) and ended with Snoop getting it on with a bitch (literally, a female dog… or half woman, half dog) from the back. Well… When my mother saw all of that, she was horrified. \u003cb\u003eNon-sequitur:\u003c/b\u003e What the fuck was up with MC Hammer’s “Pumps and a Bump?” Anyone remember that? That was WAY more horrifying!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnyhow, she took the tape… and started listening to it herself. A few days later, we were driving in the car, and I decided to turn on the radio; \u003ci\u003eDoggystyle\u003c/i\u003e came blaring out of the speakers. Yes… I caught my hypocritical mother listening to Snoop Dogg. She gave me an embarrassed look and said, “You were right, he is the best rapper ever.” She gave me back the tape, and the rest is history.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAbout Snoop's Club Nokia appearance... Unfortunately, Ice Cube, The Game and Kanye West are in a three-way tie for my personal best rapper ever award (bumping my Uncle Snoop Dogg down to 4th place just above Dr. Dre), but Snoop is hands-down THE best celebrity and performer I’ve ever seen! Again, if you don’t agree, you have no A\u0026amp;R skills (smiles).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI’m was feeling a little burned out this week, so when Snoop opened with “The Shiznit” with Tha Dogg Pound’s Daz and Kurupt as hype men, I nearly shat my pants with jubilant glee. Snoop strolled onto the stage wearing what can only be described as a ‘gang-flag jump suit’ (\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_tnMdScoLAF\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622840524098/\"\u003esee pics\u003c/a\u003e), and brought the house down for a full two hours. After “Shiznit,” he immediately ripped into “Gin and Juice,” and from there The Dogg Pound broke into “Cali Iz Active.” The rest of the set was an awesometasticgansterfied blur (is that even a word?)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSnoop, and a gang of celebrity guest stars, including Daz, Kurupt, Xzibit, Lady of Rage, RBX, Butch Cassidy, and Too Short performed an eclectic set made up of songs from \u003ci\u003eDoggystyle\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTha Blue Carpet Treatment\u003c/i\u003e, DPG’s \u003ci\u003eCali Iz Active\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eR\u0026amp;G\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eEgo Trippin’\u003c/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTha Chronic 1 \u0026amp; 2\u003c/i\u003e, and various ‘guest star’ singles. Snoop skipped all the unknown stuff from his No Limit/Priority catalog, and it was the perfect set! No offense to EMI, I’m sure going forward, all of Snoop’s releases will continue to be gems. Seriously, Snoop is hot! He may have had a minor 10-year lull from 1996-2006 (excluding his 1999 performance on \u003ci\u003eChronic 2001\u003c/i\u003e), but nowadays, everything Snoop touches turns to gold (or platinum). Every solo album from \u003ci\u003eTha Blue Carpet Treatment\u003c/i\u003e until now, and any single Snoop lends guest vocals to is an instant classic – career-wise, Snoop’s on fire!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSnoop also performed two songs from the upcoming \u003ci\u003eMalice In Wonderland\u003c/i\u003e, his first release under his new tenure with EMI/Capitol/Priority (do I have that right?). In addition to being a flagship artist, Snoop is also Priority’s creative director, and with this position may just bring back the West Coast for a third time (the second was when The Game released \u003ci\u003eThe Documentary\u003c/i\u003e).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI’m a full-fledged believer in Snoop Dogg, a hip-hop legend that’s more musically diverse than Cypress Hill, and more fun to watch than Richard Prior. My recommendation is to not only buy \u003ci\u003eMalice N’ Wonderland\u003c/i\u003e when it comes out, but also to catch Snoop live, as he gives any live rock or rap group a run for their money. Uncle Snoopy, I give you an A+ for Thursday’s performance!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpYDMFPZaI/AAAAAAAAEdg/qy6cn9XcREE/s1600/Snoop_CWG001.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpYDMFPZaI/AAAAAAAAEdg/qy6cn9XcREE/s400/Snoop_CWG001.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407231114417759650\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eOther Highlights:\u003c/span\u003e Up-and-coming rapper Diamond Lane played a few songs, including the ultra-West Coast anthem, “I Wanna Get Fucked Up,” before DJ Quick took the stage. Quick hasn’t lost a step in his old age, and got the crowd riled up with his large back catalog of classic West Coast anthems.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe only West Coast celebrities that didn’t make an appearance were Cube, Dre, and The Game.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003eEssential Snoop Dogg Albums:\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id\u003dQB3FFWKj8JU\u0026amp;offerid\u003d146261\u0026amp;type\u003d3\u0026amp;subid\u003d0\u0026amp;tmpid\u003d1826\u0026amp;RD_PARM1\u003dhttp%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Falbum%252Ff-k-wit-dre-day-and-everybodys-celebratin%252Fid6654037%253Fi%253D6654007%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTha Chronic\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e (Dr. Dre)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id\u003dQB3FFWKj8JU\u0026amp;offerid\u003d146261\u0026amp;type\u003d3\u0026amp;subid\u003d0\u0026amp;tmpid\u003d1826\u0026amp;RD_PARM1\u003dhttp%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Falbum%252Fwho-am-i-whats-my-name%252Fid6655669%253Fi%253D6655657%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eDoggystyle\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id\u003dQB3FFWKj8JU\u0026amp;offerid\u003d146261\u0026amp;type\u003d3\u0026amp;subid\u003d0\u0026amp;tmpid\u003d1826\u0026amp;RD_PARM1\u003dhttp%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Falbum%252Fxxplosive-feat-hittman-six-two%252Fid273658365%253Fi%253D273658383%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eChronic 2001\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e (Dr. Dre)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000EUKZS8?tag\u003dchiwitgunmag-20\u0026amp;camp\u003d0\u0026amp;creative\u003d0\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das1\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003dB000EUKZS8\u0026amp;adid\u003d040P86TCY7B4Y0CDG1QV\u0026amp;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eCali Iz Active\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e (Tha Dogg Pound/DPGC)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id\u003dQB3FFWKj8JU\u0026amp;offerid\u003d146261\u0026amp;type\u003d3\u0026amp;subid\u003d0\u0026amp;tmpid\u003d1826\u0026amp;RD_PARM1\u003dhttp%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Falbum%252Fthats-that-s-t-featuring-r-kelly%252Fid205156441%253Fi%253D205156470%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eTha Blue Carpet Treatment\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id\u003dQB3FFWKj8JU\u0026amp;offerid\u003d146261\u0026amp;type\u003d3\u0026amp;subid\u003d0\u0026amp;tmpid\u003d1826\u0026amp;RD_PARM1\u003dhttp%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Falbum%252Flife-da-party-feat-too-hort-mistah%252Fid275531327%253Fi%253D275531397%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eEgo Trippin’\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id\u003dQB3FFWKj8JU\u0026amp;offerid\u003d146261\u0026amp;type\u003d3\u0026amp;subid\u003d0\u0026amp;tmpid\u003d1826\u0026amp;RD_PARM1\u003dhttp%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Falbum%252Ffallin-asleep-on-death-row-feat%252Fid333398360%253Fi%253D333398525%2526uo%253D6%2526partnerId%253D30\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eDeath Row: The Lost Sessions Vol. 1\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002QEISRU?tag\u003dchiwitgunmag-20\u0026amp;camp\u003d0\u0026amp;creative\u003d0\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das1\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003dB002QEISRU\u0026amp;adid\u003d0JXMG5SZK3QMS4T7CEY9\u0026amp;\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eMalice N’ Wonderland\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-1714551681723165656?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/1714551681723165656/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/snoop-dogg-club-nokia-111909.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/1714551681723165656"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/1714551681723165656"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/snoop-dogg-club-nokia-111909.html","title":"Snoop Dogg @ Club Nokia 11/19/09"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpWWRzHrQI/AAAAAAAAEdY/jbNEXFr4llY/s72-c/Snoop_CWG002.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-3004161142317663579"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-23T01:12:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-23T01:43:44.716-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"hustler store"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Hot Metal Porn Night @ Hustler Hollywood"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpYe-VmpsI/AAAAAAAAEdo/aM3kzJoGU9c/s1600/Dysph-Hust+005.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpYe-VmpsI/AAAAAAAAEdo/aM3kzJoGU9c/s400/Dysph-Hust+005.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5407231591764633282\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhotos By: Karen Curley\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Karen's Hustler HPMN photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_imZylLWInW\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622859581692/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt's Hot Metal Porn night at Hustler Hollywood where we explored the fusion of metal music and porn sexuality!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJessica Tezier starred in the London West End production of Rent at the Shaftsbury Theatre. She went on to star, produce and direct in an avant-garde kinky movie called Chiuso. She's outspoken in her attitudes towards sexuality. She's fronted several London bar bands. She does a mean Marilyn Manson cover. She strips when she sings. She's so hot I suggest you wear sunscreen. She was in L.A and came (no pun intended) to Hustler last Thursday for your pleasure. Don't worry. We brought our cameras.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMusical guests for the evening were the Dysphemistic. They put the hard steel in metal combing porn novel prose with hardcore sonic thunder. It's hundred decibel orgasms coming atchya with such classics as Ass To Mouth and No Means Maybe. Put them together with Jessica and you have a night sure to etch another legend into the Sunset Strip rock and roll mythos.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-3004161142317663579?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/3004161142317663579/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/hot-metal-porn-night-hustler-hollywood.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3004161142317663579"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3004161142317663579"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/hot-metal-porn-night-hustler-hollywood.html","title":"Hot Metal Porn Night @ Hustler Hollywood"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwpYe-VmpsI/AAAAAAAAEdo/aM3kzJoGU9c/s72-c/Dysph-Hust+005.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-3155215364793171093"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-20T13:04:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-20T13:10:43.983-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"shotgun alley"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Shotgun Alley @ Key Club"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwcFxFmwfkI/AAAAAAAAEas/IPHw3XgypBQ/s1600/4117695147_c1bb640d83_b.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwcFxFmwfkI/AAAAAAAAEas/IPHw3XgypBQ/s400/4117695147_c1bb640d83_b.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406296218558037570\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eArticle and Photos By: A. Mac \u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of A. Mac's Shotgun Alley photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_fXiZfpnnaP\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622719220051/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSounds that echo decades past, and hip swivels that give Shakira a run for her money, Shotgun Alley \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_rETqfDsD0e\" href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003d11_3n8AWd8M\"\u003ecan put on a show\u003c/a\u003e. Arriving at the Key Club I was not exactly sure what to expect... I had done my homework, checked out their Myspace, listened to a song or two but, as we all know, live performances and recordings are two different experiences. It happened to be my first time at the Key Club (I'm a L.A. newbie!) and I was pumped to have Shotgun Alley kick off the work week.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhen Shotgun Alley took the stage lights were dim and people were quietly awaiting the first sound. The lights came up and instantly the band jumped into a foot tapping, hair swinging, hip thrusting, ROCK. The energy was intoxicating and the sound penetrating. Shotgun Alley formed in January of 2009 in Auckland, New Zealand. This 6 piece group cites 80s superstars Motley Crue and Alice Cooper.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn fact, they claim to share a bond with Cooper after supporting him on his \"Theatre of Death\" tour. With multiple instruments and voices their sound is raucous and loud. Rich and full of layers, guitar leads battle in harmony, keyboards swell and lead singer, R.J Kairua dances his ass off.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eYou've got to give it up to a New Zealand born band playing leather panted wank rock.  They aren't striving for Juilliard and the upper echelon's of musical beauty.  Their aspirations are pure.  Instead, they'd rather American families out to dinner gawk over their glass bound, black leather jackets at Hard Rock Cafe.  Wank rock!  Bret Michaels!  White jeans!  And they know you love it.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI could see that they are not a band of misguided day-dreamers brandishing guitars but instead, a representation of an entire lifestyle. And it shows...from top to cowboy boot bottom, drawing a crowd ranging from typical hipster kids, to a handful of tweens, rocker dudes, and even a stripper or two. Their whole appeal is boisterous good times.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-3155215364793171093?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/3155215364793171093/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/shotgun-alley-key-club.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3155215364793171093"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3155215364793171093"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/shotgun-alley-key-club.html","title":"Shotgun Alley @ Key Club"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwcFxFmwfkI/AAAAAAAAEas/IPHw3XgypBQ/s72-c/4117695147_c1bb640d83_b.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-1843350543632113240"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-18T01:40:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-18T01:44:37.747-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Matisyahu"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Matisyahu @ Horizon Records \u0026 The Handlebar"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwPB2SLzTxI/AAAAAAAAETI/O0HO_RLC3pY/s1600/IMG_5210.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 189px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwPB2SLzTxI/AAAAAAAAETI/O0HO_RLC3pY/s400/IMG_5210.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405377116113162002\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Victor Alfieri\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNovember 12, 2009 – Greenville, SC - So a Hasidic Jew, reggae/rock/rapper walks into a bar in the “Bible Belt…” No, this is not the beginning of a joke. When Matthew Miller, AKA Matisyahu, rolled into Greenville, SC, I’m sure he had no idea what to expect. There were probably even questions in advance as to how this ended up a stop on his “Light Tour.” After all this town is truly right in the middle of the “Bible Belt” and the Jewish community is limited at best.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhat he experienced may have a long-lasting effect on us all. As he has been doing in most cities, he started the evening with a free show to give the fans a taste of what was to come. Horizon Records is a beacon of light in the music industry; an independent music store that has fought the establishment for over 30 years.  It was here that the evening started. The store was overwhelmed. The crowd actually spilled out into the parking lot.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhat was most intriguing about this crowd was who was in it. Young children, frat boys, dreadlocked hippies and old Jewish ladies had come together to hear a special blend of music that apparently crossed all sorts of cultures, ages, genres and pre-conceived notions. Matisyahu was visibly touched by the attendance. At his suggestion, doors and windows were opened so the crowd outside could hear.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe short set was not quite “unplugged,” but scaled down considerably as he was joined by just the two guitarists and bass player. Matisyahu took care of the percussion himself using his beatbox talents to fill the gaps. The set list focused on the recent album, as well as one track that did not make the cut. The arrangements were subdued and lyrics more heartfelt. It was just a taste of what was to come…\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMatisyahu brought his “A” game for the main event that evening, and the sold out crowd at The Handlebar were up for the challenge. Backing him was a stage full of amazing musicians that deserve spotlights of their own. Aaron Dugan (guitar) \u0026amp; Rob Marscher (keyboards), official members of the Matisyahu entity have teamed up with the Dub Trio on this tour. DT, consisting of DP Holmes (guitar), Stu Brooks (bass) \u0026amp; Joe Tomino (drums), are known for their ability to also blend genres seamlessly and, as witnessed, have the ability to bring the funk.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwPB8dso_3I/AAAAAAAAETQ/bW1BdLXhmqQ/s1600/IMG_5212.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwPB8dso_3I/AAAAAAAAETQ/bW1BdLXhmqQ/s400/IMG_5212.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405377222282903410\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eRipping bass lines and percussion, battling guitar riffs, combined with dubs, samples and keyboard play set the stage for the man in the spotlight and he did not disappoint. For over two hours, the band shifted from rock, to reggae, to funk, all while Matisyahu pounded his positive lyrics and beatbox talents at the crowd. From the first note, the crowd was with him, and as the level of emotion went higher, we all followed as he covered songs, both popular and obscure. “King Without a Crown” and many of the newer songs were big hits with those in attendance.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs the show came to a close, the crowd was frantic and called for the obligatory encore. Special guest Kosha Dillz came out and freestyle rapped for a while about anything that the crowd threw up on stage, including a prescription pill container and somebody’s wallet. The night was set for one final push over the edge. A prolonged version of “One Day,” the current hit off of Light with a stage dive from Matisyahu put the exclamation point on an amazing night.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe crowd was not quite as diverse as the earlier free show, but there were still a few kids out way past there bedtime as well as a few old Jewish ladies sitting in the back. I think the town did the artist justice and I hope it will make him want to come back in the future. As he continues his tour, if he comes to your town, it is truly in your best interest to go see this show. The Matisyahu/Dub Trio combination is worth every penny and then some.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-1843350543632113240?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/1843350543632113240/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/matisyahu-horizon-records-handlebar.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/1843350543632113240"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/1843350543632113240"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/matisyahu-horizon-records-handlebar.html","title":"Matisyahu @ Horizon Records \u0026 The Handlebar"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwPB2SLzTxI/AAAAAAAAETI/O0HO_RLC3pY/s72-c/IMG_5210.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-197066343140783626"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-18T01:01:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-18T15:09:24.600-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"rx bandits"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"glassjaw"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Glassjaw/RX Bandits @ The Mayan"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwO5vOQoKQI/AAAAAAAAESg/dOhcpbDgc6Y/s1600/DSC03430.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwO5vOQoKQI/AAAAAAAAESg/dOhcpbDgc6Y/s400/DSC03430.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405368198707554562\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Steve Sawyer\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhotos By: Cindy Guillermo\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Cindy's Glassjaw/RX Bandit photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_xJvPvH5M4u\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622703769395/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt's been 7 years since Glassjaw released “Worship and Tribute” an album that many people, including myself, consider flawless. A similar amount of time has passed since the band has seriously toured. Aside from a few one off shows, and some short east coast runs throughout the years, Glassjaw has kept a relatively low profile. But if you know anything about the band's history or their absolutely ravenous fanbase, then you know that simply being able to avoid the spotlight is no small feat for the group. With all this in mind I should have been surprised when I strolled up to The Mayan theater to find it sold out, with a line wrapping around the block. I wasn't. So despite the long lines, a fever of 101, and a security guard that didn't seem to understand how crucial the vitamin C in my Topicana orange juice was to my rapidly declining state of health, I troopered on and made my way inside the venue.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe Mayan is extremely well designed for it's size, with an open floor, balcony seating, and bars tucked in every corner, it's architect definitely made the most of it's square footage. We quickly made our way to the barricades in front of the stage so we could catch the first three songs from the energetic opening act, The RX Bandits. When the lights hit, and the band finally took to the stage the entire audience was treated to an inspired drum number where each member of the band had a set of sticks, and a drum to contribute to the raucous percussive bombast. It was spectacular. They blasted seamlessly into their opening number, and I quickly remembered what makes these guys so special, they're impeccable.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTheir unique blend of ska, post hardcore, and tight vocal interaction puts them back on my list of “bands I have no excuse to not listen to”. To their credit, Matt Embree, and Steve Choi have an exceptional stage dynamic that shone through their entire performance, defined their stage time, and displayed their vocal strength all at once without so much as a single flaw. For a band that has gone through so many lineup changes, and has had to deal with label issues, and the other typical band crap, it was very refreshing to see them having a blast, and rocking it out.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwO58Xm_jtI/AAAAAAAAESo/wXwGr4mp100/s1600/DSC03321.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwO58Xm_jtI/AAAAAAAAESo/wXwGr4mp100/s400/DSC03321.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405368424555581138\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAfter a performance that left me wishing I knew more about The RX Bandits recent years, and music, I was ready for some Glassjaw. I didn't have to wait very long at all, as the band wasted no time tearing into some new material.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe new music sounded as fresh and tight as ever, and showed that age has done nothing to take away the bands bite. Whatever doubts Daryl Palumbo, and Head Automatica had put in my head about his ability to still scream his lungs out, were laid to rest.  And as he and Justin Beck shredded effortlessly into “Tip Your Bartender”, and fan favorite “Mu Empire” it became immediately clear that this band was in no danger of going soft anytime soon. What's also interesting, is just like The RX Bandits, Glassjaw has had to deal with a major component of their sound disappearing in the form of Todd Weinstock and his guitar, but just like the Bandits, it's done nothing to take away the impact of their music. By the time “Ape Dos Mil” hit the speakers, and the familiar snare roll, and bass lick combo thudded through my chest, the entire crowd was swaying, singing, and swooning all at once.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwO6KxrPGcI/AAAAAAAAESw/8dOxESoCWRI/s1600/DSC03501.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwO6KxrPGcI/AAAAAAAAESw/8dOxESoCWRI/s400/DSC03501.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405368672070867394\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eAfter the song, we were kicked out of the barricades, and had to quickly find a comfortable spot to watch the rest of the show. We made our way to the left side of The Mayan, and found ourselves between the guard railing and a conveniently placed set of items, in the forms of a guy selling beer, and a trashcan. Taking refuge in my new found sanctuary of alcohol and sanitation I was treated to another new song, which after a short explanation Daryl Revealed to be “Jesus Glue.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI was utterly surprised at how aggressive the new material is shaping out to be, with Daryl's frequent screams, and an explosive blend of old school hardcore sensibility, and dare I say Latin influences? But even more critical than that is how much the band has matured within their material, the new songs are so much more fleshed out than their previous work and show a band that has used the time away to construct something bulletproof.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnd continuing with that trend the highlight of the night for me was an equally bulletproof performance of the almost completely bass powered titular track from the album “Worship and Tribute”, and gauging from the response of the fans, it was theirs too. Bassist Manuel Carrero  (Pew Pew) delivered every bass lick with precision, setting up the foundation for the wall of guitar sound that Justin Beck creates on every Glassjaw track. And by the time the climactic end of the song rolled around it was amazingly clear why they've stuck by their drummer Durijah for so long, with every single member watching each other for the slightest cues, it was like watching a performing family, more than it was watching a band going through a set-list of predetermined songs.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSo you can understand my disappointment when Daryl announced that they were only playing two more songs. But fortunately one of those last two songs was the “Hotel of the White Locust”\u003cbr /\u003eWhatever reserves of energy the boys had been saving up were quickly unleashed, and all hell broke loose. And as he screamed his way through the familiar chorus, “Who could ever, who the fuck could ever. Take place of me?” It became pretty evident by the time hit their second encore “Babe” the answer was a resounding “No one.” Good to have you back Glassjaw.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eThe RX Bandits are:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e• Matt Embree – vocals, guitar\u003cbr /\u003e• Steve Choi – guitar, keyboards\u003cbr /\u003e• Joseph Troy – bass, backing vocals\u003cbr /\u003e• Christopher Tsagakis – drums\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eGlassjaw is:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e• Daryl Palumbo - Vocals\u003cbr /\u003e• Justin Beck -  Guitars\u003cbr /\u003e• Durijah Lang - Drums, Percussion\u003cbr /\u003e• Manuel Carrero - Bass\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-197066343140783626?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/197066343140783626/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/glasjawrx-bandits-mayan.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/197066343140783626"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/197066343140783626"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/glasjawrx-bandits-mayan.html","title":"Glassjaw/RX Bandits @ The Mayan"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwO5vOQoKQI/AAAAAAAAESg/dOhcpbDgc6Y/s72-c/DSC03430.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-2821140230751332226"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-17T13:44:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-17T15:25:26.438-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"love grenades"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Love Grenades Blow Up Bardot"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMvBx3DtjI/AAAAAAAAERk/z7yr_-Zafw4/s1600/IMG_0069.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMvBx3DtjI/AAAAAAAAERk/z7yr_-Zafw4/s400/IMG_0069.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405215685385369138\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eStory and Photos By: Markus Eliance\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Markus' Love Grenades photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_23rIFQ78yG\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622825731308/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhen I first arrived at the entrance of the club, I could feel the energy. I was early (apparently an uncommon practice as I would soon learn), and as the bouncers led me through the side alley entrance and up the stairs, the air of exclusivity was upon me. This is the Hollywood the Love Grenades were coming to turn upside down.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWith an audience full of derby hats and ironic t-shirts, stylish blondes with pouty lips, and wannabe scenesters drinking imported beer, I waited patiently for the band to arrive. I waded through the crowd in the dance hall to the main room, where the DJ was spinning breakbeats and grooveable dance tracks. Out of nowhere, Smokey Robinson's \"Tracks of My Tears\" pops out of the speaker. This night is becoming more unpredictable by the minute.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs the minutes go by, I got bold and snuck a seat into the roped-off VIP booth, dead-center with the stage area. I invited a trio of girls to sit with me -- two brunettes, and a blonde sporting one of the aforementioned derby hats.  The blonde is from Boston, and chats with me about girls in gun clubs (at the mention of the magazine I work for.) During this small talk, one of the brunettes goes to light her cigarette in the candle on the table; she leaned in seductively to take a drag, and at that moment, accidentally set her hair on fire. Luckily, I moved quickly and lightly grabbed the flaming strands, extinguishing it with my bare hand. Her friends screamed in a mix of shock and embarrassment, but the brunette simply laughed it off with, \"I know who's getting a haircut tomorrow.\" She gave me a kiss and dragged her two companions to the bathroom (probably for damage assessment).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFinally, after two hours have passed, the stage lighting activates, swirling flashes of green, red, and squad car-blue. When Elizabeth Wight, the lead singer, belts out the first few notes of \"City Lights\", I was taken aback by the sudden wave of musical energy that rushed through the room. I moved closer in to the stage, sitting cross-legged on the floor. It felt like the band was playing in my bedroom. The seating arrangement is so close, that the lead singer took the opportunity to sit in a few laps and pit dive into the crowd. How much more intimate can you get?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMwOgVHmxI/AAAAAAAAERs/aaplqXSmWZw/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMwOgVHmxI/AAAAAAAAERs/aaplqXSmWZw/s400/IMG_0051.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405217003529542418\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eThe audience was absolutely enthralled with her, as she pranced barefoot across the room. The band's turntablist coolly sipped at his beer in between mixing, and the guitarist, Corey, turned every note he played into a vibrating harmony with Elizabeth's breathy voice. With a pitch that easily rivals any of today's female pop vocalists, she oozes a raw talent that bolsters the sound of each track. It's like the Yeah Yeah Yeah's had made a baby with Daft Punk in a disco hall bathroom.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn the middle of the set, Elizabeth pauses the show to ask for a drink. At least three male audience members struggle to make a break for the bar. She cries through the mike, \"Vodka and Cranberry! And some water, too.\" The whole room feels like a group a friends reuniting after years of being apart. It was that carefree spirit that got everyone in the house grooving like there was no tomorrow. The band blazed through a six-song set, and ended it with an encore of their song \"Young Lovers.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI highly recommend you check out the track at their \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_VBHnAlfc8z\" href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/lovegrenades\"\u003eMySpace\u003c/a\u003e, as well as the \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_3qwO2NUSrI\" href\u003d\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v\u003dvJ5yfwRoL2I\"\u003evideo\u003c/a\u003e. I left Bardot that night with a new song stuck in my head, and the remnants of that energy trailing behind me.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-2821140230751332226?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/2821140230751332226/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/love-grenades-blow-up-bardot.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2821140230751332226"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2821140230751332226"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/love-grenades-blow-up-bardot.html","title":"Love Grenades Blow Up Bardot"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMvBx3DtjI/AAAAAAAAERk/z7yr_-Zafw4/s72-c/IMG_0069.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-2390895262227540166"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-17T12:56:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-17T13:05:37.073-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"switchfoot"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Switchfoot @ The Roxy 11/11 (Sold Out Show)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMQBbpH4jI/AAAAAAAAEQo/ZwJF0xa5gTs/s1600/SF_DSCN1210.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMQBbpH4jI/AAAAAAAAEQo/ZwJF0xa5gTs/s400/SF_DSCN1210.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405181594560881202\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of our Switchfoot photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_OvfCiS74ho\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622813624958/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt’s been 4 years since Switchfoot has put out a seminole record. A few years after Sony tried to steamroll their career by adding spyware to hard copies of their 2005 album, \u003ci\u003eNothing Is Sound\u003c/i\u003e, Switchfoot severed all ties, opting to go ‘back to their indie roots.’ They started their own imprint and inked a distribution deal with Atlantic Records. Switchfoot’s new album \u003ci\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/i\u003e is one of the most anticipated records of 4th quarter 2009. Released the same day as their Roxy appearance, \u003ci\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/i\u003e was to be played live in it’s entirety. I knew this sold out show at the Roxy was going to be great; fans were lined up from the Roxy all the way to La Cienega Blvd (5-6 blocks down the street), eagerly awaiting Switchfoot’s first performance of \u003ci\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/i\u003e (which, as I said before, was to be played by the band in its entirety that night).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSwitchfoot performed without an opening act, and took their sweet time getting on stage. Just as I thought the show would never start, as hour after hour had painfully crawled by, the lights went dim, and every member of Switchfoot, except vocalist Jon Foreman, calmly walked on stage. They ripped into the first song off \u003ci\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/i\u003e, singing began… but where was Jon? I flipped around 180 degrees, only to see that he was standing on a makeshift riser at the back of the club. Foreman sang to the crowd from across the room as the band played on the stage.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJon is a rock star in his own right; he may look like the spitting image of David Spade, but believe me, there’s nothing comical about how he rocked it out. Jon was then somehow passed over the crown and on to the stage. The band ripped into the second song off \u003ci\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/i\u003e, Foreman began to sing as he ripped off his black leather jacked and slowly strapped on his guitar (\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_pQLWdVvzaC\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622813624958/\"\u003esee the play-by-play of this in our photos section\u003c/a\u003e). I have to say, this was some sexy shit! That alone made up for the hours and hours of waiting for the band to grace the stage.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe rest of the show was a tad anti-climactic in certain parts, and majorly awesome in others. The next highlight was when Jon jumped off stage to sing to the crowd. He managed to push his way through the packed venue, belting out lyrics as he made his way through the crowd and back to the stage.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOne thing I can say about \u003ci\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/i\u003e is that it’s a consistent record (up to par with any other Switchfoot record) – fast and hard in some parts, and beautiful and slow in others. Check out \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_bV9gGsu94K\" href\u003d\"http://www.switchfoot.com/\"\u003eSwitchfoot.com\u003c/a\u003e for more tour dates. I’m not sure if they’re planning on playing \u003ci\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/i\u003e front-to-back for the whole tour, but even if they aren’t, they’re a must-see live band.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0); font-weight: bold;\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWant More Switchfoot?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJason Coldiron's \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_ccVnRoWn4f\" href\u003d\"http://cwgcoldiron.blogspot.com/2009/10/interview-with-chad-butler-of.html\"\u003eInterview With Switchfoot's Chad Butler\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_3fubNXPUBH\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622813624958/\"\u003eView all of our Switchfoot Photos (Roxy)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_OydhTJast3\" href\u003d\"http://cwghottickets.blogspot.com/2009/10/switchfoot-roxy-1111.html\"\u003eNews/Tour Dates\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eReview of \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eHello Hurricane\u003c/span\u003e (Coming Soon)\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-2390895262227540166?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/2390895262227540166/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/switchfoot-roxy-1111-sold-out-show.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2390895262227540166"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2390895262227540166"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/switchfoot-roxy-1111-sold-out-show.html","title":"Switchfoot @ The Roxy 11/11 (Sold Out Show)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMQBbpH4jI/AAAAAAAAEQo/ZwJF0xa5gTs/s72-c/SF_DSCN1210.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-4614259937264866108"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-16T16:51:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-23T00:35:39.413-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"everclear"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Everclear @ The Roxy 11/12/09"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwH1t5ZsEiI/AAAAAAAAEPM/g77V7gyyiTg/s1600/Hannigan_CWG_Everclear0057.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwH1t5ZsEiI/AAAAAAAAEPM/g77V7gyyiTg/s400/Hannigan_CWG_Everclear0057.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404871196672791074\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhotos By: \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_KWnGoLdxRc\" href\u003d\"http://edwardhanniganphotography.com/\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eEd Hannigan\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Ed’s Everclear photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_umzu5Qpifa\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622693103497/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI love this band! Actually, I’ve always loved this band. The last time I saw Everclear live was back when Craig and Greg were still in the group, and they were touring to support \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_5qbQaOXrzL\" href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slow%20Motion%20Daydream\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSlow Motion Daydream\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e. Three years later (2006), after a much publicized implosion and swarms of personal tragedies, Everclear returned with a new line-up and a new album. I bought \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_zh1rl75F4B\" href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welcome%20to%20the%20Drama%20Club\"\u003eWelcome To The Drama Club\u003c/a\u003e  the first week it came out back in late 2006; it was a really cool record, but a dramatic departure from the band’s signature sound. Art had interwoven his feel-good rock with elements of Van Morrison/Albert Collins-influenced bar-band blues. It was really weird to hear that much Hammond organ on an Everclear record, but still kind of cool at the same time.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFlash forward to November ’09 - I found myself excited in the days before Everclear’s Roxy appearance. Would the new line-up be as good as Craig and Greg? Would they play the old songs, or were they going to perform acoustic tracks off their new disc \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_FvDBaG7YvL\" href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everclear%20%28band%29#Studio_albums\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eIn A Different Light\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003c/i\u003e? Could Art still rock after all these years? Those questions swam through my mind as my photographer and I waited (as patiently as we could) for Everclear to take the stage.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe first band, Daniel Rockett started late, thereby throwing off the whole night’s schedule. I was pissed until I heard them play – Picture Lynyrd Skynyrd with Chris Farley’s younger brother as the singer, and you’ve got Daniel Rockett, a southern rock-influenced bar band like none other. The next act, Clayton Senne was truly a pleasure to watch (\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_codfv2HzfH\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622689314331/\"\u003esee Ed’s photos here\u003c/a\u003e). Clayton and his band consisted of a bassist, drummer, and Clayton himself on piano/vocals. No guitar player!!!! Clayton is the John Mayer of piano, a one-man band in his own right. If you have a chance, check out his \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_wowNyk1ASg\" href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/musicbyclayton\"\u003eMyspace\u003c/a\u003e page, you’ll hear what I’m talking about.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFinally, Everclear came on. Art and his new line up took the stage with the unpretentious swagger that Everclear is known for. They immediately ripped into “So Much For The Afterglow” as the packed club erupted with excitement. What enthralled me about Art’s new band is that, with the exception of the bass player, they weren’t too young looking. Most famous musicians make the mistake of bringing a band half-their-age out on the road with them, thereby looking like a grandparent doing his kids a favor – This didn’t happen with Art… Thank God! – Not to mention, the new line up was just as good, if not better, than Craig and Greg. The bass player handled the back up vocal duties with perfect pitch, and the guitar player hit all of Art’s old lead guitar parts note-for-note with renewed energy.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt 47, Art’s still got it! Some rockers over 35 can no longer sing with power or hit high notes. Art has kept his youthful vigor, managing to hit every note like it was 1997 all over again. Sure, he’s got twice as many tattoos and a squarer jaw-line than he did in the 90s, but stylistically, and performance-wise, Art could kick any baby band’s ass, and…. Well… did that night.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAny worries I had about Everclear vanished, as they stormed through a set that included their entire catalog (minus \u003ci\u003eSongs For An American Movie Vol. 2\u003c/i\u003e). The few “newer” songs that were played (including a brand new song), translated just as well live as the “classic” Everclear songs. I was a little bummed that Art opted not to play anything from \u003ci\u003e’Volume 2’\u003c/i\u003e, (he told me later it’s his least-favorite Everclear record), but it’s a small gripe that was more than overshadowed by a great performance.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey did a 3-4 song encore (it all get’s a little blurry around then), closing with “I Will Buy You A New Life,” a perfect closing to an exceptionally good show.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe boys are finishing up a West Coast tour, and will more-likely-than-not hit the road again in the next few months. If you have a chance, head over to \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_i86HRNUQTn\" href\u003d\"http://www.everclearonline.com/\"\u003eeverclearonline.com\u003c/a\u003e for more tour info.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb style\u003d\"color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWant more Everclear?\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eDownload Everclear’s \"\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_OfhebOdTYB\" href\u003d\"http://everclear.culturejam.com/?\"\u003eHere Comes The Darkness\u003c/a\u003e\"\u003cbr /\u003eEverclear Feature - \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_wUUwBm40DY\" href\u003d\"http://cwgfeatures.blogspot.com/2009/11/10-reasons-why-everclear-is-still.html\"\u003e10 Reasons Why Everclear is Still Relevant\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_s3679X9L2E\" href\u003d\"http://cwgcoldiron.blogspot.com/2009/11/continuum-conversation-with-art.html\"\u003eRock/Metal Editor, Jason Coldiron interviews Art Alexakis\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_cWLmVgiekR\" href\u003d\"http://cwgontour.blogspot.com/2009/11/everclear-new-lineup-new-tour-new-album.html\"\u003eEverclear Tour News\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_CC8EODgtvL\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622693103497/\"\u003eView all of Ed’s Everclear Photos (Roxy)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_al8auemau2\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622821577946/\"\u003eView All of Ed’s Everclear Photos (House of Blues)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_2GeCfONn8j\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/everclear-in-different-light.html\"\u003eCWG's review of \u003ci\u003eIn A Different Light\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-4614259937264866108?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/4614259937264866108/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/everclear-roxy-111209.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4614259937264866108"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4614259937264866108"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/everclear-roxy-111209.html","title":"Everclear @ The Roxy 11/12/09"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwH1t5ZsEiI/AAAAAAAAEPM/g77V7gyyiTg/s72-c/Hannigan_CWG_Everclear0057.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-7130266786629651694"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-16T12:43:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-16T13:08:11.487-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"saint motel"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Saint Motel's The Black And White Show @ The Roxy 11/7/09"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwG-XnY03dI/AAAAAAAAEPA/Eh9Bw5W0l1E/s1600/SaintMotel_11072009+007.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwG-XnY03dI/AAAAAAAAEPA/Eh9Bw5W0l1E/s400/SaintMotel_11072009+007.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404810340740685266\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eArticle and Photos By: Tim Bannock\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Tim's photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_yIFWF4Acqn\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622673985121/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003eDownload \"\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_72gmmjGDZF\" href\u003d\"http://cwgmp3.blogspot.com/2009/11/saint-motel-dear-dictator.html\"\u003eDear Dictator\u003c/a\u003e\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e** This was a \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_zRk7DtlXcg\" href\u003d\"http://cwgmusicnews.blogspot.com/2009/11/saint-motel-sells-out-roxy.html\"\u003esold out\u003c/a\u003e show!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThere comes a time in anyone's life when they go to a concert and it totally takes them by surprise.  The kind of surprise where they slip into their regional accent and start saying \"wicked\" a lot (yeah, I'm from New England).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThat time was Saturday, Nov. 7th at The Roxy Theatre: Saint Motel's \"THE BLACK AND WHITE SHOW,\" featuring ArmyNavy, Red Arrow Messenger, and Rumspringa.  And it couldn't have come at a better time.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt was one of those nights where you're late for everything, you have to blow a bunch of extra money on parking, and no matter how many times you call the publicist, you find you're just not on the press list.  Armed with pocket lint for money, the first realization that you actually have a use for a stupid iPhone (my cell's internet is slow as molasses and mostly unreadable), and the nagging sensation that you should have just stayed home, you just put your head down and push forward.  Not out of any sense of determination or some high ideal of \"getting the job done,\" but because you know that these barriers are just your lot in life.  If you turn back now, you'd find your car had a flat tire anyway.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWith that in mind, you head into the show, just barely missing the first band (sorry ArmyNavy!  I heard you were pretty good though!), and grab a good, stiff drink: all black and white specials at this show, so a White Russian will have to do.  And then Red Arrow Messenger takes the stage and...well, hell, things just start to get better all of a sudden.  A southern rock version of Coldplay, featuring a singer who could sing circles around just about every major singer you can you think of ('cept maybe Mariah Carey, but that woman's pipes are just unnatural).  After Red Arrow Messenger comes Rumspringa, a two-piece heavy-metal-esque rockabilly act with '70s funk attitude and solos that will make you wail out the blues.  And that's just the start.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhile I'd heard Saint Motel's music (check out their \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_FMVcz48oM4\" href\u003d\"http://www.myspace.com/saintmotel\"\u003eMySpace\u003c/a\u003e page, and make sure you scroll down; sometimes the big picture at top doesn't load and it looks like a blank page), I really just didn't expect them to be able to match the two previous bands.  The show was just that good up to that point.  But when the cocky quartet took the stage and exploded into their unique blend of melodic rock, the show only got better.  Their music immediately brings to mind some kind of funky amalgam of The Flaming Lips, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Weezer.  There's a slightly obscured sexuality to the songs, a highly irreverent rock \u0026amp; roll attitude, and all of that underscored by the band's energy which was unparalleled.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSaint Motel pulls out all the stops though, adding a highly visual element to the show.  With so many groups now copying the \"let's play dress up\" of Gnarls Barkley or Slipknot (now that's a weird combo!), Saint Motel uses less costume and more movie.  But it's not just static pictures on the back wall, or film clips cycled through a projector (although there's some of that, too).  No, Saint Motel had every single microphone on the stage hooked to a camera, so you were looking directly into their faces at various points while they screamed, sang, jumped around, or rocked out.  There was a camera in the back of the audience, so you'd get a far-off view of the entire (super-packed) audience and the antics on the stage beyond it.  There was even a camera wandering through the crowd, transmitting the unwitting passersby as they channeled the band's music and whipped around in a flurry to the fantastic jams.  It was like an art show within a film all trying to burst out of a concert with explosive effect.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMere words can do Saint Motel no justice.  These guys have toured with some big acts, and their debut EP, ForPlay, sold like crazy at the concert.  Special digital versions containing 6 music videos on top of the EP's 6 tracks are available on the band's MySpace page.  There's pretty much no stopping this melodic juggernaut, so you better check 'em out before they steamroll right over you.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNov. 17th they are at UC Santa Barbara, and Nov 18th they will be appearing at Cal State in Fullerton.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-7130266786629651694?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/7130266786629651694/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/saint-motels-black-and-white-show-roxy.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7130266786629651694"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7130266786629651694"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/saint-motels-black-and-white-show-roxy.html","title":"Saint Motel's The Black And White Show @ The Roxy 11/7/09"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwG-XnY03dI/AAAAAAAAEPA/Eh9Bw5W0l1E/s72-c/SaintMotel_11072009+007.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-2585773056960675469"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-15T23:02:00.001-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-17T23:35:52.335-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"i will never be the same"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"I Will Never Be The Same @ Dakota Bar 11/6/09"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwEB2-3FuJI/AAAAAAAAEOk/ef9DDUfBsyU/s1600/IWillNeverBeTheSame_11062009+019.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwEB2-3FuJI/AAAAAAAAEOk/ef9DDUfBsyU/s400/IWillNeverBeTheSame_11062009+019.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404603071919929490\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eArticle and Photos By: Tim Bannock\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Tim's I Will Never Be The Same photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_5SknhyCNy2\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622813209218/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTo paraphrase a great, sometimes it's a long, strange trip.  You set out prepared for one thing, and you end up on a wildly different journey.  Thus began Friday, Nov. 6th, as CWG Metal reviewer \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_k8IKV47IZl\" href\u003d\"http://cwgstaff.blogspot.com/2008/06/dave-brooks.html\"\u003eDave Brooks\u003c/a\u003e and CWG Hard Rock/Metal reviewer \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_KfKEKLadNx\" href\u003d\"http://cwgstaff.blogspot.com/2008/06/tim-bannock.html\"\u003eTim Bannock\u003c/a\u003e set out for the Dakota Bar in Santa Monica to watch I Will Never Be The Same tear up the stage in support of their debut album, \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_YsVwJC6t9g\" href\u003d\"http://cwgallthingsheavy.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-will-never-be-same-standby.html\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eStandby\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI won't trouble you long with the torrid details: the rude scarification lady that ran the door of the Dakota Bar (big thanks to Dean for the assist on getting us in!), the featureless walls of El Cholo's across the street, and the server that really didn't want to let Dave have more than one watered-down beer.  There's really no reason to get into the details of Dave's alter ego, and my inability to keep his cover.  More importantly, I'd hate to waste your time with just how many things I forgot to bring on this trip, and thus the reasons for my being totally unprepared in the accompanying interview\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_sWXxoyC4DO\" href\u003d\"http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id\u003d7637802\u0026amp;server\u003dvimeo.com\u0026amp;show_title\u003d1\u0026amp;show_byline\u003d1\u0026amp;show_portrait\u003d0\u0026amp;color\u003d\u0026amp;fullscreen\u003d1\"\u003e\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhat I will tell you is this: despite a ridiculously nonsensical list of support bands, and despite the inexplicable absence of the French guy behind the mixer for most of the evening, I Will Never Be The Same kicked ass.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you've read the review of \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_4LeTanp8gY\" href\u003d\"http://cwgallthingsheavy.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-will-never-be-same-standby.html\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eStandby\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e, you have a vague grasp on what the band sounds like: a versatile admixture of rock and electronica; frustration and sinister brilliance.  Seeing them live is a whole other show, quite literally.  Following hot on the heels of a ho-hum Linkin Park rip-off, I Will Never Be The Same took the stage with confidence and played with deft precision.  A stunning feat, given some of the factors facing the band that night: the aforementioned lack of a French sound guy (meaning no sound-check at all for the band), a drummer wandering around afflicted with what seemed like a massive head cold, and an audience that had just sat through the weirdest line-up ever (the Linkin Park rip-off, an acoustic singer-songwriter, and later a band whose music was as forgettable as their singer was unapologetically annoying).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwECbM1PlpI/AAAAAAAAEOs/GW_3CGwy3-E/s1600/IWillNeverBeTheSame_11062009+039.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwECbM1PlpI/AAAAAAAAEOs/GW_3CGwy3-E/s400/IWillNeverBeTheSame_11062009+039.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404603694145574546\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eMore importantly, the band pulled off the entire set -- the lion's share of the songs on \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_XHhcIsoMsk\" href\u003d\"http://cwgallthingsheavy.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-will-never-be-same-standby.html\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eStandby\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e -- without a single slip-up.  For a disc that thrives on its ability to flow between live instrumentation and electronic ambience (or swap out the same for melodic chords and raging open-chord fests), you'd think it would be a hard sell to get its essence up on the stage, but Josh Atchley and crew pulled it off.  Josh and fellow guitarist Taylor Haycraft had their guitars roaring, and then Josh switched to keyboards along Brittany Bao for some melodic dueling.  Francis Ten (also of West Indian Girl) crushed it on the bass, and...well, for all the head-cold drama, the drumming was dead on target.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you like great sound at an easy-going venue (as long as you're willing to pay the scarification lady), the Dakota Bar's definitely a choice establishment to ride into.  If you like great rock and roll with touches of industrial, ambience, and a vaguely Nine Inch Nails or Orgy vibe (with some moments of Pink Floyd and Chevelle), then you absolutely cannot go wrong with I Will Never Be The Same.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey're playing with Dramarama on Dec. 3 at Pershing Square, so get in on that show!  And for the folks who are affected by our lovely economic climate, the show's free, so you really have no excuse to miss it.  Great band, great venue, and shoulder-checking little kids on ice skates: all in a day's work!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Tim's photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_HcsLOGPjxU\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/timbannock/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView the video Interview \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_AUh73oJxg0\" href\u003d\"http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id\u003d7637802\u0026amp;server\u003dvimeo.com\u0026amp;show_title\u003d1\u0026amp;show_byline\u003d1\u0026amp;show_portrait\u003d0\u0026amp;color\u003d\u0026amp;fullscreen\u003d1\"\u003eHere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-2585773056960675469?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/2585773056960675469/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-will-never-be-same-dakota-bar-11609.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2585773056960675469"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2585773056960675469"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/i-will-never-be-same-dakota-bar-11609.html","title":"I Will Never Be The Same @ Dakota Bar 11/6/09"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwEB2-3FuJI/AAAAAAAAEOk/ef9DDUfBsyU/s72-c/IWillNeverBeTheSame_11062009+019.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-7708924369770794914"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-15T16:02:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-19T01:03:43.395-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"flyleaf"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwCYXMr6IQI/AAAAAAAAEM0/eCb79DyLwEE/s1600/Flyleaf-+Lacy.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwCYXMr6IQI/AAAAAAAAEM0/eCb79DyLwEE/s400/Flyleaf-+Lacy.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5404487077154398466\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Sebastian Barnum\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePhotos By: Emily Rex\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Emily's Flyleaf photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_Q3isOnsL15\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622811127556/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePortland, OR - It’s an Oregon night, and things are cold. Everyone in the room is slightly drenched and bearing a grin. The lights go out, and it seems as if the world stops. Lacey Mosley struts onto the stage, along with the rest of her band of misfits, and the world is given a pulse. A flickering chandelier is the only light given to the band, as they begin what I can only describe as awesomeness.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSeeing as Flyleaf’s newest album “Memento Mori” wouldn’t hit shelves for another week, we didn’t know what to expect. But I never expected to see the outstanding performance that would quickly unveil itself. Because the opening band (Paper Tongues) cancelled, it was clear that the band would have to rely just as much on old material as they did new material, which had quite an impact.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe first four songs all came off of their new album, which made it relatively difficult to get emotionally caught up with them. And seeing as almost no one knew the songs, it felt like a slow start, to an unpleasant evening. And then, as if a switch flipped, the band started their fan favorite “Cassie.” Within seconds, the crowd was jumping and screaming the words at the band in some ritual that almost seemed tribal.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTwo moments in this evening made it a truly unforgettable experience. The first was seeing Sameer Bhattacharya (Lead Guitar) pull out a violin bow during two different songs. That alone gave me goose bumps - replicating a technique I’ve only known the god of rock, Mr. James Patrick Page (Led Zeppelin) to successfully pull off was jaw dropping to say the least.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe second unexpected and easily the most interesting moment of the evening,  Lacy Mosley delivered a touching speech about her faith. It is well established that Flyleaf is a Christian rock group, but when a non-believer hears a concept such as that, they seem to instantly write the band off as a bunch of holy rollers, and as nice as it was, it didn’t do much for me. However, when she followed it with a cover of Kim Walker's “How He Loves,” a Christian anthem, it was moving. Even those with no faith could feel something amazing happen as Lacey wailed the lyrics like a gothic angel.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAll in all, it was regrettable that so much of the concert was unknown songs (including the finale), but the show was absolutely amazing. Pure, raw energy filled the Hawthorne Theater that night, and it was divine. I would see Flyleaf any chance I got, and I advise you to do the same.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWant More Flyleaf?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_1sfXUo0lDj\" href\u003d\"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/flyleaf-album-release-party-boardners.html\"\u003eFlyleaf Album Release Party (Review)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_HSZDHbzCKE\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622498722788/\"\u003eFlyleaf Album Release Party (Photos)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_2d6I6fxbZb\" href\u003d\"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/flyleaf-el-ray-102909.html\"\u003eFlyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Review)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_bkUUBHxzJ8\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622569352879/\"\u003eFlyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Photos)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_35LxgRBNMC\" href\u003d\"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/flyleaf-hawthorne-theater.html\"\u003eFlyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Review)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_bctmwGlYDI\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622811127556/\"\u003eFlyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Photos)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_gJtwzAe6x3\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/flyleaf-memento-mori.html\"\u003eReview of \u003ci\u003eMemento Mori\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-7708924369770794914?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/7708924369770794914/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/flyleaf-hawthorne-theater.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7708924369770794914"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7708924369770794914"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/flyleaf-hawthorne-theater.html","title":"Flyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwCYXMr6IQI/AAAAAAAAEM0/eCb79DyLwEE/s72-c/Flyleaf-+Lacy.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-4814397609992922008"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-11T17:27:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-11T17:37:03.614-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pixies"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Pixies Play “Doolittle” @ the Hollywood Palladium 11/6"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvtkvJGBdLI/AAAAAAAAEJI/fV039qyDFd0/s1600-h/4083857529_88df4e6dd1_b.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvtkvJGBdLI/AAAAAAAAEJI/fV039qyDFd0/s400/4083857529_88df4e6dd1_b.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403022939018851506\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Andy Sweat\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePhotos By: Jeremy Ross\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs a 24-year-old who, in the 80’s, could barely walk, eat or piss in a toilet, I never had the privilege of seeing the Pixies (I know. My mother wasn’t cool or insane enough to take a 5-year-old to see an angry noisy band. Shocker). Yet, through reputation and dozens of bands spouting them as influence, by sophomore year in high school, I became a devoted fan and many of my musical influences (today) can be linked to those Pixies records.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSo, when you hear that the Pixies are playing in November of 2009, you geek out and jump at the chance to see them with the hopes that the band will retain some of that brilliance and mystique that we’ve built up in our heads.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI must mention that I saw the Pixies play four years ago at the San Jose Civic Auditoriumon. This was during their first leg of the (now seemingly) never-ending reunion tour (only matched by Cher). It was kick to see them that first time, though I felt their presence and energy was a little flat and stale. So I was let down, but the fact that I saw the Pixies was good enough for me… at least for the first time around.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn 2005, I geeked out for that first show and blew my load on what was probably (in hindsight) a sub-par live show. NOW, this was my second time around and being a much more experienced Pixies live show blowjob receiver, I was hoping for something better (and more authentic).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut… I got the same deal (and her tits didn’t seduce as they did the first time around).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvtmolZoYfI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/xK3qTuKNiOw/s1600-h/4088401401_4b37841cd8_b.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvtmolZoYfI/AAAAAAAAEJQ/xK3qTuKNiOw/s400/4088401401_4b37841cd8_b.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403025025381458418\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHere’s what went down: the show at the Hollywood Palladium was a live act version of the Pixies most popular, accessible, polished sounding album, “Doolittle” (which has got to be on everyone’s top 10 influential indie records from the 1980’s). This concept of knowing what songs us fans will be getting lets us set the bar really high for our expectations. And, no matter if some of the sound has decayed, we’re still gonna be satisfied because it will trigger some of that feeling we got when we first heard the Pixies in our youth.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe band busted out the gate with “Debaser” – a classic Pixies song that blends pop hook sensibilities with bratty, lunatic like guitar work and lyrics.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOn came, “Tame” – that required Frank Black to scream at the chorus… which he now fails to do. “Wave of Mutilation” and “Here Comes Your Man” were done very well and pleased the crowd immensely. And so on and son.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThat’s the problem: nothing stood out and no real variation from the album happened. What’s the point of a live show if all we get is a studio album?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe band played their less-rough, most pop-sounding, accessible songs (“Debaser,” “Wave of Mutilation,” “Here Comes Your Man” and “Monkey Gone to Heaven”) really well. Partly because those tunes are simpler to play and don’t require as much stress and strain on the goods that these band members had to have back in the late 80’s. Where they struggled to retain that magic were songs that required Frank Black to attempt to call on the vocals of his younger days.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFrank Black, once sounded like a hormonal teen full of angst, twisted scratch and wailing vocals – he now sounds like an old, gruff, tired man who just can’t, physically, get to where his vocals need to go to keep up with the music. And I’m not sure what’s better: to at least see the Pixies and hear Frank Black sing in this manner or to just remember what the Pixies were and leave it at that?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJoey Santiago’s guitar work is impressively as sharp as ever. They guy hasn’t lost a step and he can still wail out those unique, classic Pixies sound even 20 years later. Kim Deal was sharp and it’s always a kick to see someone as iconic as her to casually swig beers and smile (especially from someone who was in both of your favorite bands from your teens years: Breeders).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eA big complaint is that the band didn’t play to the crowd or have any showmanship. They came out, busted out their classics, and bounced. Maybe the fact that this was the 3rd show in a row at the Palladium had something to do with that. But I saw a very similar, impersonal show 4 years ago in San Jose. I’m just wondering if the show suffers a bit due to our perception that these guys are possibly just doing this whole shtick for the cash.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe cold hard fact is, in 2009, it’s cooler to SAY you’re seeing the Pixies than ACTUALLY seeing them. Because in 2009, they just don’t live up to all the hype that we’ve come to know and love. And that’s not their fault. That’s time’s fault and what age does to a singer’s voice. It’s time’s fault what age does to a band’s energy and charisma. And it’s OUR fault for not buying enough records to make them really want to do a live tour with passion.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt’s always a great treat to get a blast from the past from a band that painted my horny-driven teen years, but… saying you saw the Pixies in 2009 will definitely get you a little street cred and will probably get you laid by some hipster floozie, even though the 2009 product doesn’t live up to the 1988 output.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003e3 Guns (I mean, come on, it’s still the fucking Pixies).\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eRandom Observations:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* Does writing about how you saw the Pixies get you laid by a hipster floozie?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* Pixies are probably on that “well, got to see them before they die” list         (maybe – 2nd tier).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* TOP tier Bands/Artists on the “See-Before-They-Die” List: Lou Reed, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, David Byrne, Brian Eno, Patti Smith., Paul McCartney, The Who, Leonard Cohen, Iggy Pop, Pavement, Sonic Youth. - Who’s on your list?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* Is it better to see these bands/artists now or to just remember them for what they were? And if we think they still are amazing today – are we just tricking ourselves to believe this (and to justify us paying for the high ticket price)?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* Pixies Song favorites of mine: \"Mr. Grieves,\" \"La La Love You,\" \"Gouge Away.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* I love “Doolittle” but I think I prefer “Surfer Rosa.” - It just has a more fractured, anxiety- driven rougher sound that I like. With the way things are going, well be seeing a live “Surfer Rosa” reunion tour soon…. Or shit, a Come on \"Pilgrim EP\" tour…?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* Paying respect and being honest about what you are viewing should go hand-in-hand… right?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e* Is it me or does Frank Black seem like a man who doesn’t feel content with his legacy?\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-4814397609992922008?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/4814397609992922008/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/pixies-play-doolittle-hollywood.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4814397609992922008"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4814397609992922008"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/pixies-play-doolittle-hollywood.html","title":"Pixies Play “Doolittle” @ the Hollywood Palladium 11/6"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvtkvJGBdLI/AAAAAAAAEJI/fV039qyDFd0/s72-c/4083857529_88df4e6dd1_b.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-7490607590015560243"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-11T14:19:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-17T14:23:28.195-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"friday night boys"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Friday Night Boys @ Cobalt Café"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMiOczP5MI/AAAAAAAAEQ0/eFMbwRpLVVA/s1600/FNB2629.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMiOczP5MI/AAAAAAAAEQ0/eFMbwRpLVVA/s400/FNB2629.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405201609419384002\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe Friday Night Boys brought the house down at the Cobalt Café! Unfortunately, like an idiot, I left my camera sitting on the couch at my apartment. It’s a shame, as FNB is one of the most energetic live bands I’ve seen in the past month.  In my opinion, a band with a stage presence that big should have been at the Gibson or the Wiltern instead of the under-sized Cobalt Café. Friday Night Boys stole the show from headliners Hey Monday; after FNB played, I just couldn’t get into Hey Monday’s set. (Sorry, guys!)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ci\u003eOff The Deep End\u003c/i\u003e has been in heavy rotation in my iTunes for a few months now. I especially like FNB’s ‘feel-good’ emo/rock sound.  At first glance, there’s nothing special or new about Friday Night Boys, they look and sound like an emo band, but… If you really listed to \u003ci\u003eOff The deep End\u003c/i\u003e, it becomes obvious that FNB is a higher caliber act than most emo/pop punk bands. Blending punk, emo, electronica, and indie and a beautifully seemless manner, the Friday Night Boys have a chance at longevity. If they can continue to write great songs and play their asses off (as they did on Monday), they’ll be a household name in no time flat.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf you have a chance, check them out on tour – \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_q6fSWKedOC\" href\u003d\"http://myspace.com/thefridaynightboys\"\u003eMyspace.com/thefridaynightboys\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eRead our review of \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_kNqclIANGO\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/07/friday-night-boys-off-deep-end.html\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eOff The Deep End\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-7490607590015560243?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/7490607590015560243/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/friday-night-boys-cobalt-cafe.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7490607590015560243"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7490607590015560243"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/friday-night-boys-cobalt-cafe.html","title":"Friday Night Boys @ Cobalt Café"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SwMiOczP5MI/AAAAAAAAEQ0/eFMbwRpLVVA/s72-c/FNB2629.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-4722286106788910651"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-10T01:54:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-10T01:57:50.542-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pearl jam"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Pearl Jam - Halloween Show"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svk4y7-aG5I/AAAAAAAAEHk/AqP5Plz8gp4/s1600-h/EddieVedder.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svk4y7-aG5I/AAAAAAAAEHk/AqP5Plz8gp4/s400/EddieVedder.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402411675751685010\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Alan Ritch\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLength: 3 1/2 hours.\u003cbr /\u003eTotal Number Of Songs Played: 41\u003cbr /\u003eNumber of times I said \"Holy Shit!\": 92\u003cbr /\u003eNumber of drunk guys passed out next to me: 1\u003cbr /\u003eNumber of times Jay With AEG tried to touch my balls: twice.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eMain Set:\u003c/span\u003e Why Go, Last Exit, Corduroy, Severed Hand, The Fixer, Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town, You Are, Amongst The Waves, Even Flow, Pilate (first since: 2000-10-25), Unthought Known, Daughter/\"CallandResponse\"/ABitW2, Johnny Guitar, Rats, I'm Open (first since: 2008-06-28)/I Got Shit, Glorified G, Out Of My Mind (first since: 1994-04-06), Black/We Belong Together, Insignificance, Life Wasted\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eEncore 1:\u003c/span\u003e Just Breathe (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), The End (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), Low Light, Speed of Sound, Jeremy (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), Inside Job, Bugs (w/ Philadelphia String Quartet), Spin The Black Circle, Porch\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003eEncore 2:\u003c/span\u003e Whip It! (Devo), Got Some, Crown of Thorns, Satan's Bed, Sweet Lew, Do The Evolution, Betterman/Save It For Later(partial)/\"CallandResponse\", Smile, Alive, Rockin' In The Free World, Yellow Ledbetter/Star Spangled Banner\u003cbr /\u003e------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svk44JLzuJI/AAAAAAAAEHs/Gf-k2OccRd8/s1600-h/PJDevo.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svk44JLzuJI/AAAAAAAAEHs/Gf-k2OccRd8/s400/PJDevo.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402411765196896402\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eFirst off, Bad Religion was awesome as shit. It's a shame so many asses were in seats during their set, especially on the floor. Lame motherfuckers. Eddie snuck on stage and sang on \"Watch It Die\" and THEN people stood up and started cheering. It really annoyed me. I was really glad they played that together though, and Ed sounded great on the song. Greg (or was it the bass player?) made a joke saying \"Hey that sounded pretty good. We should record it like that some time. \" BR opened up with Los Angeles Is Burning (as I was rushing to my seat) and also plowed through stellar versions of Struck A Nerve, Atomic Garden, Dearly Beloved, New Dark Ages, No Control, Man With A Mission, Infected, 21st Century Digital Boy, Suffer, We're Only Gonna Die For Our Own Arrogance, and ended the explosive set with Sorrow. The bass player (decked out in a full skeleton outfit) made a comment about how Pearl Jam fans are the greatest fans in the world. They were all very humble and happy to be there. It's a shame it seemed like only 5% of the crowd knew who they were. Anyway...\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOn to the main event. Like the other 3 nights (night 2 of which I also attended), the intro tape was highlights from Spectrum sporting events, followed by The Rocky theme. The band comes on stage, Jeff wearing a devil mask, and Eddie sporting boxing gloves as he yells \"THIS IS IT!\" and they tear into \"Why Go\" as Ed is throwing fake jabs and hooks into the air. I can't even describe the feeling that rushed through me when they took the stage like that. It was the perfect opener, and I could tell right away that the band was going to be in rare form on this fine Halloween night. Last Exit felt just as good, and it seemed to be one of many perfect little salutes to the mighty Spectrum. \"This is this is........my............Last Exit!\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI was a little bummed when they started \"Elderly\", after hearing it at the 2nd show as well, and just generally being sick of the song.....but it still managed to pull me in for the ride. The audience vocals were off the chart. Even though Ed kind of went back on his word of trying to play all their songs they recorded, I really don't mind that much that they ended up doing repeats from other shows. Everything that they decided to play worked really well and just fit like a golden glove into the moment and general mood of the show. They are masters at what they do. I loved hearing \"Pilate\" for the first time, and thought it actually sounded good. The night wasn't just a sloppy jam session of lost gems. You could tell they actually put some time and effort into rehearsing them for this special leg.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThere was a Vegas showgirl once again with the scorecard for the World Series, but she only came out on stage once, maybe twice. I guess because we were losing, and they didn't want to bring the crowd down. Either way, I was glad because it made the attention fall more on Pearl Jam, as opposed to Pearl Jam/Phillies. Don't get me wrong, the second night was a lot of fun (and unique as hell) with all the updates and \"Let's Go Phillies\"/\"Yankees suck!\" chants...but this one was clearly meant to be more about the legendary band and the legendary building they were closing out.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eEarly on, Ed laid to rest all the rumors circling around about special guests for this show (Bruce, Neil Young, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi [*barf*]) and said something like \"Sorry it's just us. Hope that's ok!\" I'd say it was more than ok, and they more than held their own. Bad Religion was enough of a special treat anyway.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eEd pointed out a KISS costume in the audience and said it was Mike's mom dressed as Gene Simmons. Mike said his mom was more into Paul Stanley. Then Ed said his mom slept with Gene Simmons. And then he said his mom fucked Mike's mom in a Gene Simmons costume. Weird moment.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"We're not taping this, right?\" - Ed\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHe also told the story about Mike thinking the lyric to the KISS song was \"I wanna rock n' roll all night long... and PART of every day.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI was bored with Daughter until the \"Another Brick In The Wall\" tag. Ed was singing \"Teacher leave this stadium alone!\"\u003cbr /\u003eLoved \"Johnny Guitar\", and I'm glad I got it two nights. Rats was the shit. \"I'm Open\" was ok. Nothing special but still cool to say I was there for it. \"Out Of My Mind\" was played because a large donation was made by someone to some fund if they would play it. It was a lot of fun. Can't believe it started out as just a simple improv that they would fuck around with in between \"real\" songs. \"Life Wasted\" featuring McCready's blistering, hotter than hell leads crippled the walls of the old Spectrum, and served quite well as a first set closer.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eCould have done without hearing \"Just Breathe\" again and \"Speed Of Sound\" (worst song on Backspacer), but it did serve as a nice little rest where I got to sit, take some pictures, and just take in all the amazingness I was witnessing before me. At the beginning of this encore is when Ed said \"If you don't like slow songs go take a piss or something\" and also said \"We might not even be half done yet, so pace yourself\" At this point I think they had already been playing for an hour and half or better. My goofball friend Elliott was texting me going \"The game got a late start, hit me up later\" and I'm like \"Dude....I think I'm going to be here for hours.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"The End\" ended up being my \"emo\" song of the night. Really hit me hard. It was beautiful with the string quartet backing. \"Inside Job\" was also a grand slam. Mike rocked the fuck out of a double neck guitar and made me feel not worthy. I hung onto every lyric, every note of that song, feeling for once like there was nothing wrong in the world.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJust when I thought things couldn't get any better, Mr. Vedder took the stage with an accordian and mumbled something about \"never been played before...but it's Halloween...and I really want this to be the first time\" and lo and behold he started playing BUGS. Matt played shakers. Jeff played a bow bass. It's novelty and filler, but I think this made my night. I never thought Id actually get to witness something like this. Yelling out all those goofy lines. Laughing my ass off the whole time. Follow it up with motherfucking \"Spin The Black Circle\", and I was pretty much already saying it was the greatest Pearl Jam show ever.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThroughout most of the show Eddie was wearing a Devo shirt. I chuckled once or twice thinking about those silly little red hats.\u003cbr /\u003eThen at the beginning of the 2nd encore, the entire band came out in complete Devo suits and played \"Whip It\" It was hilarious. They rocked that shit too. Devo would be proud. Immediately after they played \"Got Some\" which many people on the internets have been declaring \"A Devo ripoff\" Gotta love the balls and humor this band has to not take themselves too seriously, and poke fun at the comparison.\u003cbr /\u003eSatan's Bed was another perfect Halloween number, and a real highlight for me. So many times this night I thought \"Why is Pearl Jam in my head?\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSweet Lew was also pretty hilarious. Jeff rockin the mic in the Dr. J jersey, Stone slappin' the bass, while Vedder dribbled a b ball on the side, along to the beat. At the end Stone was like \"Motherfuckin Sweet Lew!\" and the crowd of drunken Phils Phans went nutso.\u003cbr /\u003eEd made a comment about how they already played Better Man this week, but he needs to hear it one more time in this building. He was right. The crowd participation never ceases to amaze me, and the end of that song just fucking JAMS live.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svk5DL0hDnI/AAAAAAAAEH0/GfLX6_znFRg/s1600-h/PJOnstage.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svk5DL0hDnI/AAAAAAAAEH0/GfLX6_znFRg/s400/PJOnstage.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402411954883071602\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\"Smile\" was really great. \"I miss you already!\" Fuckin A man. Jeff switched it up again and played some nifty guitar licks, while Stone also once again brought the bottom end to end all bottom ends. Or as Ed would later say \"Stone Gossard.................he did his best!\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSince the great Neil Young couldn't be there, we got the next best thing, and his classic words to \"Rocking In The Free World\" rang throughout the old arena, as a shit-fuck load of confetti and red white and blue balloons fell from the rafters, making the place look more like a republican convention featuring Garth Brooks, rather than a Pearl Jam show...but somehow it fucking worked. It was pure rock n' roll madness. The band was supposed to end with Free World, but tacked Yellow Led Better onto the setlist (though no surprise there) and it was a wise decision. All the house lights on as Mike McCready serenaded us one last time at the end of the tune, with the Star Spangled Banner (Jimi Hendrix style) and brought the place down to it's knees once and for all. Easily the best Pear Jam show I've ever seen. I'll miss you Spectrum. We've shared some good times................but now it's time to WATCH IT DIE!\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-4722286106788910651?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/4722286106788910651/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/pearl-jam-halloween-show.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4722286106788910651"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4722286106788910651"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/pearl-jam-halloween-show.html","title":"Pearl Jam - Halloween Show"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svk4y7-aG5I/AAAAAAAAEHk/AqP5Plz8gp4/s72-c/EddieVedder.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-3236127844152292508"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-09T21:03:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-09T21:06:38.297-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"the crystal method"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Crystal Method @ The Echoplex"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svj00Uhx7JI/AAAAAAAAEHM/jSf9nZpEZS4/s1600-h/Crystal+Method1.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svj00Uhx7JI/AAAAAAAAEHM/jSf9nZpEZS4/s400/Crystal+Method1.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402336932731677842\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Victoria Hill\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Urban/Pop Editor)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI've never been popular enough to get invited to a secret show, but that all changed last Saturday.  I was invited to watch The Crystal Method perform for a small crowd of fans and industry people.  The show was in conjunction with the newly-launched Gen Cre8 initiative from Avid, the digital audio and video media technology company behind such innovative products as Media Composer, Pro Tools, Avid Unity and more. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe crowd mingled at the bar and would turn their heads in anticipation when a sound tech would test the turntables and a Crystal Method song would play for a few seconds.  Around 7:30pm, the room went dark and buzzing electronic sounds overwhelmed the small room.  It seemed like an alien invasion was taking place.  The spotlights flicked around as a robotic voice said \"Welcome Los Angeles; welcome Glendale Boulevard; we are the Crystal fucking Method.\"\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe energy of the room swelled as Scott Kirkland and Ken Jordan took to the electronics.  True rock stars, each movement they made seemed like a possessed demon, as they played songs from their latest album “Divided By Night” and classics like \"High Roller\" and “Busy Child.”  That feeling overtook the packed room as the crowd swayed, danced and jumped in a hypnotized trance (including myself) to the beats that vibrated throughout the room.  I could feel the music pounding through my feet as I danced. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe hour-and-a-half set flew by, and when the lights came on, it seemed like everyone awoke from a dream.  The warm energy still buzzing, The Crystal Method said goodnight and it was time to go back to reality.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-3236127844152292508?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/3236127844152292508/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/crystal-method-echoplex.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3236127844152292508"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3236127844152292508"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/crystal-method-echoplex.html","title":"The Crystal Method @ The Echoplex"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svj00Uhx7JI/AAAAAAAAEHM/jSf9nZpEZS4/s72-c/Crystal+Method1.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-4504888675576580090"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-09T01:19:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-09T01:44:28.863-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"hanson"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"hellogoodbye"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sherwood"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Hanson/Hellogoodbye/Steel Train/Sherwood @ Club Nokia"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvfkQc8kh2I/AAAAAAAAEGw/MKOCb1E0v14/s1600-h/706920582_hanson_use_your_soul_tour92.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvfkQc8kh2I/AAAAAAAAEGw/MKOCb1E0v14/s400/706920582_hanson_use_your_soul_tour92.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402037249353484130\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Darwin Green\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Senior Editor)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePhotos By: \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_y0XHypiIHh\" href\u003d\"http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-24107-AEG-Events-Examiner\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eSusana Capra\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView More of Susana's \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_oxtKJALp3w\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622641407137/\"\u003eHanson\u003c/a\u003e photos here, and her \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_ESf66XlJWH\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622765674384/\"\u003eHellogoodbye\u003c/a\u003e photos here.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e11/7/09 - I can’t remember now which other artist the guy at the box office mentioned when asking if I was picking up tickets for her or Hanson, but I do remember leaning close to the window, and, careful so that nobody else would hear, I said, “Hanson.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHe pointed across the courtyard.  “Just go to the escalators and go up to the third floor.”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNow, someone else knew I was picking up tickets for Hanson, one of the most estrogen-soaked bands of the nineties. \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_69ZCFJfoff\" href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanson%20%28band%29\"\u003eHanson\u003c/a\u003e, who made “Mmmbop.”  Hanson, the band all my friends made fun of and still make fun of to this day.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI found my way into the venue.  That whole area reminds one of something out of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, and sometimes, when it comes to architecture or design, looks don’t always equate to functionality or the ability to find places easily.  Needless to say, the inside of the venue looked as futuristic as its outside.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_LoKaZtvMBH\" href\u003d\"http://cwgrealitycheck.blogspot.com/2009/09/sherwood-nate-henry-gives-up-goods.html\"\u003eSherwood\u003c/a\u003e started the set with an amazing, pumped-up performance.  They seemed ready to envelope the whole world and everybody in the room with their sweetness and gentle gratitude towards the fans, the \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_QcAKBHZsyE\" href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace%20Records\"\u003erecord label\u003c/a\u003e, their friend who has cancer, and anyone willing to donate money to said friend.  The music itself made one feel as though teenage pop could make one feel so happy that one would only need to listen to the music instead of taking any kind of drug for the same reaction.  It was the equivalent of spending a half-hour in a hot, euphoric, saccharine infused bath, letting go of the whole world in the process. (Check out our review of Sherwood's new album, \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_luJCjoRlZA\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/10/sherwood-qu.html\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eQU\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSteel Train rolled through like, well, a New Jersey locomotive, hearkening to a place of supreme confidence where Bruce Springsteen roamed the streets and smelled the steam in the air.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvfkYwD-XTI/AAAAAAAAEG4/3x1jXjvw3_Q/s1600-h/706938773_hello_goodbye_use_your_soul_tour14.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvfkYwD-XTI/AAAAAAAAEG4/3x1jXjvw3_Q/s400/706938773_hello_goodbye_use_your_soul_tour14.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402037391923764530\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003eHelloGoodbye performed next.  While having a similar effect as Sherwood in terms of music, their sardonic banter between songs only brought down any effect sustained while listening to the songs.  They would break into silliness for long periods of time, blurring the line between a bad stand-up act and great music.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut then Hanson came on, and it wasn’t long before the cheers from the female members of the audience reached such a pitch that it felt like being next to a jet engine as it spins into life.  The band trotted onstage and immediately jumped into a bluesy, rock-filled song, completely unlike anything one would ever expect from Hanson.  They did it again, and again, and again, and one felt all the years of belittling Hanson suddenly crumbling away into praise, respect, and admiration.  The audience consisted mainly of teenage girls, but the music seemed made for guys.  It had a country, folksy bent to it a la Darius Rucker while he was in Hooty and the Blowfish, but the guitar often launched into pure rock, blues, and funk, far from the sugary pop one came to define Hanson as back in the nineties.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey still carried some instances of the Jackson 5, but it blended well with their other material.  At one point they brought out acoustic guitars and sang together with harmonies that would have made bands like the Eagles come back for comeuppance.  It was surely a surprise for anyone only familiar with “Mmmbop,” to hear Hanson taking on country and folk influences, although they played “Mmmbop” for the fans.  At that point, it didn’t matter.  Hanson gained my respect at that point and I realized that any pop they do, or have done, is pop perfection.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAll in all there was never a lack of energy on their part, and it translated to the audience well.  Few people sat down, most people had their hands in the air when the band called for it, and most everyone clapped in rhythm and sang at some point.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI am now one of the initiated males who will say, from now on in a proud voice, “Yes please, one for Hanson.”\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-4504888675576580090?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/4504888675576580090/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/hansonhellogoodbyesteel-trainsherwood.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4504888675576580090"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4504888675576580090"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/hansonhellogoodbyesteel-trainsherwood.html","title":"Hanson/Hellogoodbye/Steel Train/Sherwood @ Club Nokia"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvfkQc8kh2I/AAAAAAAAEGw/MKOCb1E0v14/s72-c/706920582_hanson_use_your_soul_tour92.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-6664066401065555585"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-08T21:19:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-08T21:35:44.391-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"avi buffalo"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Avi Buffalo @ The Echo"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svep9b9tcpI/AAAAAAAAEGM/YkhBrJ9pnS8/s1600-h/_DSC0048.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svep9b9tcpI/AAAAAAAAEGM/YkhBrJ9pnS8/s400/_DSC0048.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401973150997901970\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Andy Sweat\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Angry Staffer)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhotos By: \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_yT0TaAlmsE\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrossphotography/\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eJeremy Ross\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Jeremy's Avi Buffalo photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_8D5Kkxsb1H\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622641301821/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt was a cold evening outside, and even a colder night for music inside the Echo where they pump the AC juice as if their dance floor was the Sahara dessert (I was balls cold, and for the first time, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, actually wanted a fucking Snuggie). There was barely anyone there for the opening two bands (an amateur pseudo-garage band and a dude dressed in some rabbit, hamster suit hitting the drum machine with about the same amount of arrogance as if he were recreating Homogenic), but by the time Avi Buffalo appeared the room was packed with budding high school teens and freshman girls in dire need of a sensitive and swooning leading man.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAvi Buffalo (or known in his family as Avigdor Zahner-Isenberg) is the “man” behind this newly signed Sub Pop Records band.  Before we can go further, we must state the one fact everyone who knows the band talks about so we can put this all into perspective: the dude is fucking 19. He actually just turned 19 fricken last night as people shouted faint birthday calls to the bushy eye-browed crooner.  So, for a 19 year old to be signed by Sub Pop, either he has got some serious chops, or Sub Pop sees an indie product that they can sell and break into more mainstream outlets.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eEither way, there’s a lot of buzz around this Avi kid, and I was intrigued to see what he could do.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAvi’s vocals resemble the sweet, high-pitched sound of the Shins, but at times you can hear glimpses of gruff and edge as you would in Isaac Brock’s voice (Modest Mouse). I hope Avi attempts to explore the latter because that Shins (though very cute and all) shtick gets old fast. If Avi continues to sound more like The Shins they are quickly gonna be on the “Oh-they-are-so-like-whatever” list, as oppose to a band that is challenging themselves to strive for something more. The latter route might not be aligned with Sub Pop’s plans for Avi, but, in terms of the quality of music that is both inventive, original and would push Avi himself creatively, the later is the route worth taking.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eDon’t get me wrong, Avi is a very promising songwriter well ahead of most his age.  His guitar work is solid with a lot of potential to explore his more jazz influenced roots in the years to come. Last night was all about seeing a promising, very young leading man trying to understand who he is, what he remembers listening to growing up in his short lifetime, and where he should go from here on out. Last night was quite possibly the beginning of a household name. There’s a lot of promise in Avi and it’s exciting to be a part of the early stages of growth.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe bands most popular, polished song, “What’s It In For,” is the perfect example of Avi combining everything that’s been influential to him into a beautiful-sounding indie-pop song.  It’s a beguiling piece of Shin-style jangle pop, and you have to admit the line “You are tiny and your lips are like little pieces of bacon” is straight from a Ween catalog. It is a nice, radio-friendly tune. Nothing more nor less.  It could’ve easily fit in the Shins catalog and would be adored by all the high school indie-emo kids in attendance last night. To read too much into it would be doing the song a disservice. Let the soft, sweet, pubescent teen vocals mixed with the whimsical hooks be what it is: a lovely song in search for its indie-film vehicle.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Summer Cum,” is a seesaw jangle that teeters back and forth between vocal and guitar hooks. It’s a sweet song, with sharp wit, and is a great radio follow-up to the other hit.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SveqGn-s7GI/AAAAAAAAEGU/xvYxEPs6SCw/s1600-h/_DSC0028.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SveqGn-s7GI/AAAAAAAAEGU/xvYxEPs6SCw/s400/_DSC0028.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401973308842110050\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAvi Buffalo will likely be an indie-darling popping up here-and-there at every bloated, over-hyped, the Hoff attending (The Hoff \u003d Coachella) music festival this coming year or two. I wouldn’t be surprised if they could reach the same mainstream success as the Shins did (Starbucks, Walmart, and whatever overrated Garden State Indie Movie is of this year included).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut, Thursday night, Avi Buffalo was a nice time, with sweet sounds and with a lot of potential. In the end, I think the resounding constant thought that was going through my mind when listening to Avi was: “I can really see my mom digging this.” That and… “This song is stuck in my head!”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt’s solid music that doesn’t aspire to be too complicated or complex. And music like this is perfect for a shit load of people. The live show is nothing to write home about and best to be played inside small, secretive social gatherings tucked in a dingy dorm room.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFor me, it’s like… whatever.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut I’ll be checking in now and then on this 19-year-old. Avi’s got a lot of promise and whole hell of a lot of time.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI like those odds - 2.5 guns\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Jeremy's photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_8NRvt9M7Hu\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrossphotography/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-6664066401065555585?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/6664066401065555585/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/avi-buffalo-echo.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/6664066401065555585"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/6664066401065555585"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/avi-buffalo-echo.html","title":"Avi Buffalo @ The Echo"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Svep9b9tcpI/AAAAAAAAEGM/YkhBrJ9pnS8/s72-c/_DSC0048.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-3473986550920882604"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-06T16:04:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-06T16:10:40.692-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"dirty projectors"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Dirty Projectors @ Rec Center Studio, Echo Park"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvS61woBMII/AAAAAAAAEBk/F1RA5asANTk/s1600-h/dirtyp01.png\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 263px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvS61woBMII/AAAAAAAAEBk/F1RA5asANTk/s400/dirtyp01.png\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5401147285872652418\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Cassandra McGrath\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhoto By: \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_nJMnnc0B18\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/treelullaby/\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eShowbiz Clique\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOn Halloween night at the Jensen Recreation Center, Dave Longstreth, the lead singer of the experimental Brooklyn band the Dirty Projectors, took the stage in an oversized Styrofoam cowboy hat, with a guitar re-strung to play left-handed.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHe began to play a crackling, backwards guitar riff and howled into the microphone, while the audience danced along, the best we could. This type of music is hard to identify. People often toss around the term “afro-punk” when they discuss The Dirty Projectors, but the best comparison might be to the wordly sensibilities of the Talking Heads. The more accessible the Projectors sound gets, the better they become.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI must admit that I was not a fan of Rise Above, Longstreth’s re-imagining of Black Flag songs committed from memory. The songs were too unfocused and self-indulgent, and the singing veered towards screaming too often. However, with the indie hit “Bitte Orca” (which means “please whale” in German), the band came into its own, balancing odd, galloping pop songs with hypnotic, shifting rhythms.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIt was great fun on Saturday night to watch the audience dancing to “Useful Chamber” and gearing up to hit the main chorus, in which Longstreth plays a guitar riff that sounds like a broken music box and cries, “Bitte Orca, Orca Bitte!” The audience expects the band to rip the chorus on an identifiable beat, and instead Longstreth begins to sing on an off-beat, tripping up everyone on the dance floor, including the man in a giant bunny suit.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e          Though the acoustics in the Jensen Recreation Center were not ideal (after all, the center was likely created with basketball shooting range in mind), the band’s timing was, for the most part, sparkling. The Projectorettes (Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and Haley Dekle) were astounding, and Longstreth was charismatic.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAngel Deradoorian sang “Two Doves” and sounded better than the record, if that were possible. The only letdown was the terrific song “Stillness is the Move.” Amber Coffman’s r\u0026amp;b-style vocals were drowned out by a dominant bass, and she ended up screaming into the microphone; the resulting song sounded nothing like the number I have danced to in my room many a time.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e          The opening band Little Wings was unremarkable except for trying to decide whether the lead singer, Kyle Field, was dressed up as a bum for Halloween or not. Missing tooth, check. Dirty hair, check. Gum chewing on stage, check. Bandage on face and dirty clothing, check. General disconnect to environment (measured by glazed look in the eyes), check. Songs, whatever. It was all about the Projectors, and they certainly delivered.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-3473986550920882604?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/3473986550920882604/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/dirty-projectors-rec-center-studio-echo.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3473986550920882604"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/3473986550920882604"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/dirty-projectors-rec-center-studio-echo.html","title":"Dirty Projectors @ Rec Center Studio, Echo Park"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvS61woBMII/AAAAAAAAEBk/F1RA5asANTk/s72-c/dirtyp01.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-2133352121911071672"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-06T01:24:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-06T03:03:53.332-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chevelle"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Chevelle @ The House of Blues 10/30/09"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvP-HgSmRxI/AAAAAAAAEBE/wd0EF2btAxI/s1600-h/Hannigan_ClubNokia0054.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvP-HgSmRxI/AAAAAAAAEBE/wd0EF2btAxI/s400/Hannigan_ClubNokia0054.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400939783027836690\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhotos By: \u003c/span\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_YSYzXlabAE\" href\u003d\"http://edwardhanniganphotography.com/\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eEd Hannigan\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Ed’s Chevelle photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_bp8v1fvCaG\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622621188493/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI’ve seen Chevelle a handful of times, and they’re consistently good live.  They never miss a note, and they’re LOUD as fuck! If you like that classic detuned wall-of-guitar sound backed by intricate drums, this is the band to see in person.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eChevelle has never been about theatrics or stage antics, preferring to just plain rock. I was surprised to see that they had incorporated themes from \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_2xZG0zGwVz\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/chevelle-sci-fi-crimes.html\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eSci-Fi Crimes\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e into their stage show. A banner the size of a football field with the cover of the album hung on the wall behind the band, and what can only be described as ‘UFO’ lights blinded the audience at certain points during the show. I haven’t decided whether this annoyed me or not, I don’t really remember, as I was pretty much head-banging non-stop for their whole set. Actually… The UFO lights were a really cool effect for opener, “Sleep Apnea,” but not so cool for other songs. Pete also played without his signature toolbox, opting to use a floor monitor for a leg rest instead. Bring back the toolbox, Pete! You gotta be you (smiles).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhat I love about my hard rock brethren of Chevelle fans is that we are rabid! The audience knew every word of every song. They sang and moshed through the entire set; extremely rare for an L.A. audience (most of the time we stand there, motionless and depressed looking, as if at a Smashing Pumpkins concert). The Chevelle show changed all that. \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_tsWCZDNsQA\" href\u003d\"http://cwgfeatures.blogspot.com/2009/11/5-reasons-why-after-midnight-project-is.html\"\u003eAfter Midnight Project\u003c/a\u003e brought the house down (great pairing, by the way), Chevelle built it up and tore it down all over again.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIn short, Chevelle is a great band to see live; easy on the eyes, and brutal on the ear-drums (in a good way). Catch them on tour, and pick up a copy of \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_8cOpymsrcE\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/chevelle-sci-fi-crimes.html\"\u003eSci-Fi Crimes\u003c/a\u003e .\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOpening band, New Medicine, also showed a lot of promise. Picture a more radio-friendly At The Drive-In, and you’ve got New Medicine, a band of tattooed punks out of Minnesota. They’ll be releasing their debut album in early 2010, so be on the look out! See Ed's New Medicine photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_tY0GYYmjvD\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622745526896/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cb\u003eOther Chevelle Articles:\u003c/b\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_qkbEwcPrrd\" href\u003d\"http://cwgallthingsheavy.blogspot.com/2009/11/chevelle-samuel-has-problems.html\"\u003eInterview With Sam\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_rQAE0Fo9oo\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/09/chevelle-sci-fi-crimes.html\"\u003eReview of \u003ci\u003eSci-Fi Crimes\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-2133352121911071672?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/2133352121911071672/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/chevelle-house-of-blues-103009.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2133352121911071672"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2133352121911071672"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/chevelle-house-of-blues-103009.html","title":"Chevelle @ The House of Blues 10/30/09"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvP-HgSmRxI/AAAAAAAAEBE/wd0EF2btAxI/s72-c/Hannigan_ClubNokia0054.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-2777803460026098893"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-05T14:07:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-05T14:14:36.526-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"nirvana"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Nirvana – Live @ Reading (1992)"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvNOQOBNYLI/AAAAAAAAD_g/zdtkLuwvc3A/s1600-h/nirvanaliveatreadingxl.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvNOQOBNYLI/AAAAAAAAD_g/zdtkLuwvc3A/s400/nirvanaliveatreadingxl.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400746418695397554\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eEveryone from my generation, and one-to-two generations prior, have a Nirvana story and/or anecdote. Afterall, they’re one of those truly timeless bands that everyone at some point was obsessed with. Here’s mine: when I was 16, I somehow ended up at a keg party with kids much older than myself. After getting exceptionally drunk off two beers, I began to rummage through the house CD/DVD collection. To my absolute joy, I found an old VHS of “\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_LCwAGCRHv1\" href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live%21%20Tonight%21%20Sold%20Out%21%21\"\u003eLive Tonight! Sold Out!\u003c/a\u003e” DGC’s second post-mortem Nirvana release (the first being \u003ci\u003eUnplugged in New York\u003c/i\u003e).  Like the kid I was, I sat as close to the TV as possible, drunkenly hanging on to Cobain’s every move. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHalfway through the video, one of the older guys at the party sat next to me on the floor and began the “one day when you’re older, you’ll no longer like Nirvana” speech. At the time, I thought he was crazy! How could anyone stop liking Nirvana?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Everyone inevitably out-grows them,” he responded, “I used to be obsessed with Nirvana when I was your age. When you’re my age, you’ll out-grow them too. Hell, even Dave Grohl out-grew Nirvana!”\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSadly, he was right; at the age of 25, I found that my Peter Pan-like glitz and glammer over Kurt Cobain was pretty much completely gone. I never listen to my old Nirvana CDs (and believe me, my collection is extensive as fuck!), I dislike hearing “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in restaurants/elevators, and I couldn’t finish “\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_lD08DOS0ad\" href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1573222321?tag\u003dapture-20\"\u003eJournals\u003c/a\u003e” for the life of me. In 2009, I figured that I had buried Cobain, much as Courtney Love had to do back in April of 1994.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThen… \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_KqvgLzg5lF\" href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002MRRRAA?tag\u003dapture-20\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eLive At Reading\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003c/i\u003e and Sub-Pop’s re-issue of \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_nuXZwJqDjM\" href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000035E7?tag\u003dapture-20\"\u003e\u003ci\u003eBleach\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e came across my desk. I had requested both releases because I felt we needed to cover them. I spent 2 or 3 days regretting that decision as both discs sat on my kitchen table. I battled with myself incessantly, “Should I play \u003ci\u003eBleach\u003c/i\u003e in the car? Do I really have to listen to this stuff, or can I get one of my writers to do it?” On, and on, and on… until I finally made the firm decision to put \u003ci\u003eBleach\u003c/i\u003e on in the car.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Blew” came blasting through my car stereo.  I began to bask in nostalgia, remembering my awkward teenage years. I found myself falling back in love with Nirvana, the same way I had loved them from 1998-2002.  I learned something important: no matter what anyone says, Nirvana will always be timeless to all and new to some, much like U2 or Lynyrd Skynyrd. Nirvana is the type of band you can listen to with your parents, friends and kids. Anecdote about “\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_q1Yod4ZSoc\" href\u003d\"http://www.imeem.com/artists/nirvana/music/vipMBivp/nirvana-blew-album/\"\u003eBlew\u003c/a\u003e”: The song was supposed to be in “Drop-D” tuning, but Kurt (who had been high and nervous in the studio) had ended up detuning his bottom string an extra note too far, thereby accidentally recording the song in CADGBe, as opposed to DADGBe. Since they were on an extremely tight budget, they didn’t have time to re-record the guitar part, so they said, “Fuck it,” and released the song in the wrong tuning.  That’s Grunge, baby!!!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnyhow, I don’t review albums, so I \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_sIduI6tvCo\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/nirvana-bleach-20th-anniversary-edition.html\"\u003efarmed that one out\u003c/a\u003e to my trusty review staff (smiles), but I made the firm decision to watch and review \u003ci\u003eLive At Reading\u003c/i\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eEvery die-hard Nirvana fan/geek has a bootlegged audio copy of Nirvana’s 1992 performance at the UK’s Reading Festival (I know I do). The video, on the other hand, has always been in high demand. 17 years after the fact, DGC has released an official (previously unreleased) video and audio (previously unofficially released) version of the performance. This is a must-have for any Nirvana fan, geek or casual listener.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe official package features footage of the performance, which took place on August 30, 1992 and is considered by many to be one of the greatest performances ever at the festival.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI watched the DVD from beginning to end, glued to the couch for a solid hour-and-a-half. I ignored all my e-mails, texts from girls, and other various CWG-related business, as \u003ci\u003eLive At Reading\u003c/i\u003e had transported me to a time that was free of cell phones, e-mail, and the almighty Blackberry. Besides, Nirvana’s Seminole Reading Festival performance was killer from beginning to end. They just don’t make bands like Nirvana anymore, and nothing will ever top the innocence, hooks and punk ideals of the Grunge-era.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThank you Sub-Pop, and thank you David Geffen!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAfter the credits, there’s a short, but candid scene of Kurt hanging out with a young fan and his dad. It reminded me of Kurt’s humanity, and was by far the best part of the DVD. Nirvana fans – Please go out and buy this DVD/CD set, it’s worth its weight in gold… or Platinum…\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAlso, everyone has a Nirvana anecdote. I invite you to write yours in our comments section below.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe CD version of the performance features the setlist (below) minus 'Love Buzz'. CD-only and DVD-only versions of the release will be issued on the same day as the DVD package, and a double 12-inch vinyl version will come out on November 16.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe setlist for 'Nirvana Live At Reading' is:\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e'Breed'\u003cbr /\u003e'Drain You'\u003cbr /\u003e'Aneurysm'\u003cbr /\u003e'School'\u003cbr /\u003e'Sliver'\u003cbr /\u003e'In Bloom'\u003cbr /\u003e'Come As You Are'\u003cbr /\u003e'Lithium'\u003cbr /\u003e'About A Girl'\u003cbr /\u003e'Tourette's'\u003cbr /\u003e'Polly'\u003cbr /\u003e'Lounge Act'\u003cbr /\u003e'Smells Like Teen Spirit'\u003cbr /\u003e'On A Plain'\u003cbr /\u003e'Negative Creep'\u003cbr /\u003e'Been A Son'\u003cbr /\u003e'All Apologies'\u003cbr /\u003e'Blew'\u003cbr /\u003e'Dumb'\u003cbr /\u003e'Stay Away'\u003cbr /\u003e'Spank Thru'\u003cbr /\u003e'Love Buzz'\u003cbr /\u003e'The Money Will Roll Right In'\u003cbr /\u003e'D-7'\u003cbr /\u003e'Territorial Pissings'\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-2777803460026098893?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/2777803460026098893/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/nirvana-live-reading-1992.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2777803460026098893"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/2777803460026098893"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/nirvana-live-reading-1992.html","title":"Nirvana – Live @ Reading (1992)"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvNOQOBNYLI/AAAAAAAAD_g/zdtkLuwvc3A/s72-c/nirvanaliveatreadingxl.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-8455110227593446830"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-05T00:27:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-05T00:45:22.732-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"shiloe"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Two Nights With Shiloe"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca style\u003d\"padding: 0px 6px; float: left;\" id\u003d\"aptureLink_Gg6rOOTdBM\" href\u003d\"http://apture.s3.amazonaws.com/00000124c37ff1ae71a22f7d007f000000000001.101_0184.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg title\u003d\"101_0184\" src\u003d\"http://apture.s3.amazonaws.com/00000124c37ff1ae71a22f7d007f000000000001.101_0184.jpg\" style\u003d\"border: 0px none ;\" height\u003d\"281\" width\u003d\"375\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSee all of our live pictures of Shiloe \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_8Z06cqiYCd\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622613474227/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAt the risk of sounding like a band-aid, Shiloe, in my opinion, is one of the best and freshest indie bands in Los Angeles. This is a rarity. I came to L.A. with the misguided notion that every band in town would be awesome, as this is where the majority of mainstream bands come from. I was disheartened to find that a lot of acts in Los Angeles suck just as much as the bands throughout the rest of the country. With that said, I’m always excited to find a new gem. In 2006, this was the After Midnight Project, in late 2009, it’s Shiloe.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWith a totally crushable bass player and a drummer that’s ape-shit crazy on stage, Shiloe’s balls-to-the-wall rhythym section is a perfect pairing, or paradigm, to Ken’s subdued-yet-pretty vocals and surf effects-ladden lead guitar. The dichotomy between the thumping bass (Melissa is an exceptional player), the sparkling clean guitar, and drums that sound like Jimmy Chamberlain dueling with U2’s Larry Mullen Jr., makes Shiloe’s music interesting and fun. I also like the banter: Melissa banters with the audience, Ken banters with Melissa, it makes that transitional period between songs less boring. I guess you could say I’m pro-banter.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnyhow, on Halloween, CWG threw the wildest party ever at the CWG Mansion in the Hollywood Hills. We convinced Shiloe a few weeks in advance to headline the event. They graciously accepted, and history was made.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFast-forward to 10:00PM on Halloween night; patrons, free-loaders, fans of Shiloe, and people dressed in a variety of costumes (my favorite being the guy in the full Gumby suit), stood in line halfway down the side of the canyon surrounding our mansion. They had come for the gala of a lifetime – a chance to see Shiloe streamed live over the internet for CWG Magazine’s first-ever live concert series, and of course the opportunity to party until 4AM in a giant mansion.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eParty-goers as far as the eye could see passed through the mansion’s front door, down three flights of stairs, and out onto the lower balcony (our mansion had 4) for the kegs, full bar, and scheduled performance.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAnticipation grew, as our sound engineer running the live stream fussed over the sound check; he wanted everything to sound perfect, and it did. The audience was half-lit, as the band finally ripped into their opening song; an hour later than scheduled. The stream went off without a hitch, and the crowd exploded, dancing through Shiloe’s whole set. As Shiloe attempted to put their instruments down, a guy dressed in a full Gumby suit grabbed the microphone and demanded the band do an encore. The crown roared in approval. Shiloe put their instruments back on and rocked the crowd for the rowdiest encore in Halloween history.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAfter a short meet-and-greet with fans, Shiloe packed up, and the crowd funneled back into the mansion for drinks and all-night music from three of L.A.’s best local DJs.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI was so unbelievably blown away by Shiloe’s Halloween performance, I had to go see them at the Troubador the following night. They had the opening slot for Black Gold/Girl in a Coma.  I showed up ridiculously early (a rarity for me), and waited in anticipation. People started to trickle into the venue as Shiloe had taken the stage.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e“Oh my God, they have a girl bass player!” shouted one of the girls in the front row. Melissa winked at her while strapping on her bass. They opened with the same song as the previous night, as the crowd, previously not knowing what to expect, began to bob their heads to the music. The first song ended and the audience erupted in applause. The venue began to fill up as Shiloe played through their set, making for a very decent turn-out (the best I’ve seen for an opening band in my history of going to L.A. shows)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMy one and only complaint about Shiloe’s Troubador show was that there was no encore!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThese guys are definitely worth checking out! See the links under the top picture for more info.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cdiv style\u003d\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eShiloe Live @ The CWG Mansion (Full Set)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca style\u003d\"margin: 0pt auto; padding: 0px 6px; text-align: center; display: block;\" id\u003d\"aptureLink_UmMDsrVHUv\" href\u003d\"http://www.ustream.tv/flash/video/2468059\"\u003e\u003cimg title\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://placeholder.apture.com/ph/480x386_Embed/\" style\u003d\"border: 0px none ;\" height\u003d\"386\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eShiloe Live @ The CWG Mansion (Encore)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca style\u003d\"margin: 0pt auto; padding: 0px 6px; text-align: center; display: block;\" id\u003d\"aptureLink_we1dVGp45N\" href\u003d\"http://www.ustream.tv/flash/video/2468197\"\u003e\u003cimg title\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://placeholder.apture.com/ph/480x386_Embed/\" style\u003d\"border: 0px none ;\" height\u003d\"386\" width\u003d\"480\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-8455110227593446830?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/8455110227593446830/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/two-nights-with-shiloe.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/8455110227593446830"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/8455110227593446830"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/two-nights-with-shiloe.html","title":"Two Nights With Shiloe"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-283269491701403196"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-03T15:29:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-03T15:33:30.070-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"white rabbits"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"White Rabbits @ The El Ray"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvC9Uv6NPwI/AAAAAAAAD98/iWvnk8-ZUh0/s1600-h/white-rabbits-07-lo-res.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvC9Uv6NPwI/AAAAAAAAD98/iWvnk8-ZUh0/s400/white-rabbits-07-lo-res.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400024117372862210\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Cody Page\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBrooklyn-via-Missouri-based six piece White Rabbits are a little over halfway through their North American tour--and it shows.  At this point in their travels, they are a well-oiled machine that minces few words before, during, or after their hour-long set in L.A. on Tuesday night.  They enhance the lush appointments of the El Rey with a warm and choppy brand of indie rock, delivered with urgency, paced with maturity. \u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHollowbody guitars begin swirling into runaway feedback spread over Phillistine tom tom assaults before the curtain even rolls back--themes that rarely let up during the next 60 minutes.  Instead, they bloom, mutate, and redouble even louder as White Rabbits insist upon a powerful and earnest declaration of who they are.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eYou've laid a pretty intent ear on White Rabbits' May 2009 release \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eIt's Frightening\u003c/span\u003e, so you're curious to see how the band handles layered arrangements like \"Midnight and I\" in a live context.  Do they pull it off?  Absolutely!  What's the secret?  Matthew Clark and Alex Even on percussion and, well, noise, respectively.  Clark is the lanky, ball-of-energy who you see behind the tom kit, mostly.  As the show unfolds, you discover that he is the caveman savant behind White Rabbit's signature thud.  His work is front and center on most Rabbits songs, including the drummy single \"Percussion Gun.\"  You enjoy this more muscular interpretation of the \"multi-instrumentalist\" that has almost become a given in many of the bands that share the scenester space with White Rabbits.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eIf Clark is the July 4th fireworks, Even is the fog that rolls in halfway through the display, obscuring it and keeping it from becoming too straight-ahead, too patriotic.  You can't help but compare his knack for massaging effects to that of art rock's gold standard in texture:  Radiohead's Ed O'Brien (Radiohead shares a label with Rabbtis, coincidentally).  Like O'Brien, Even is able to coax outer space from his Epiphone Casino with a small army of persuasive devices:  murky delay, eBow sustains, analog synth pads, and good old fashioned Fender amplifier reverb.  His head looks as if it's about to pop off as he shadows Clark's movements (which should be familiar to anyone who has ever geeked out really hard to their favorite song in the privacy of their bedroom).  At one point, you think you catch Even plinking strings behind the guitar's bridge to evoke a horror movie spider tinkle that supplements frontman Stephen Patterson's darkish lyrical content with a sinister sort of appropriateness.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAs for Patterson, his version of very fearless leader to very fearless band is exactly right.  He plays his upright piano with a drummer's precision, sometimes squirming to wrap his legs around it at the pinnacle of livelier songs.  His voice sounds good--ragged and desperate albeit it slightly strained at points.  You appreciate the imperfection, though, because it pulls White Rabbits' ruthless sense of rhythm off of its high horse.  Patterson is a hybrid:  one part singer, one part pianist, zero parts talker.  But you don't really mind the lack of banter between songs because you're too busy 1) wondering if Patterson's HMO will cover the carpal tunnel that just has to accompany playing that hard and 2) admiring the Rabbits' flawless, effects-laden transitions (was that a dub machine you heard?) from one tune to the next.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe Beatles influence is heavy and you love it.  If the lilting vocal harmonies between Patterson and guitarist/singer Greg Roberts on \"Rudie Fails\" or \"Right Where They Left\" don't tip you off, bassist Brian Bettancort's left-handed Hofner just might.  Or maybe it's drummer Jamie Levinson's unpretentious backbeats.  No matter how you arrive at the comparison, White Rabbits echo the pop sensibility of that highest of holy bands with tact and restraint, unlike some of the more conspicuous derivatives that cropped up in the 90's.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBut there's something else echoed in White Rabbits, something equally tuneful but modern.  Right as you're forming the thought, your jaw drops because Britt Daniel materializes out of nowhere to help close the night with a rendition of \"We All Shine On.\"  You realize that the other ingredient in White Rabbits' sound is, of course, Spoon.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhite Rabbits are absolutely their own band.  White Rabbits also owe a sizable slice of their sound and success to the support of Spoon frontman, It's Frightening producer, and all around indie golden boy Britt Daniel.  Daniel's Spoon (in one sentence) helped set the bar for garage rock/pop by stripping it down it's rhythmic roots, severing ties with the Wall of Sound, and fathering the brand of deconstructed rock \u0026amp; roll that White Rabbits seem poised to inherit.  Still, you don't expect the man to actually show up on stage, especially one so far from his Portland digs.  Daniel strides over to Clark's corner and wrestles with a malfunctioning guitar before muting it and applying his Van Morrison-like vocal grit to his pet project's final encore.  You smile a bit as you realize that you've hit hot and grainy pay dirt on what is otherwise a chilly Monday night in the heart of Los Angeles.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-283269491701403196?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/283269491701403196/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/white-rabbits-el-ray.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/283269491701403196"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/283269491701403196"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/white-rabbits-el-ray.html","title":"White Rabbits @ The El Ray"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SvC9Uv6NPwI/AAAAAAAAD98/iWvnk8-ZUh0/s72-c/white-rabbits-07-lo-res.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-4428262072782535005"},"published":{"$t":"2009-11-02T14:22:00.000-08:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-02T14:34:33.201-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bouncing souls"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Bouncing Souls @ The El Rey 10/30/09"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Su9eazpGNaI/AAAAAAAAD74/qz914vsZ3ag/s1600-h/IMG_8328.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 400px;\" src\u003d\"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Su9eazpGNaI/AAAAAAAAD74/qz914vsZ3ag/s400/IMG_8328.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5399638292872705442\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Darwin Green\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Senior Editor)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePhotos by: Mehra\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Mehra's Bouncing Souls photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_12oDsqY1XD\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622720487834/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAfter seeing opening acts Broadway Calls and Bayside, I knew it would be a good night for punk.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBroadway Calls was an unexpected surprise.  I had heard about Bayside before, and knew that they would unleash their brand of punk rock upon the audience, but, if anything, Broadway Calls warmed the audience up for the rest of the bands to follow with their sound, a mix between NoFX and a touch of Jimmy Eat World.  Of course Bayside tore the house up with their high-energy power chords and crushing drums.  The circle that started to form in the crowd for Broadway Calls etched itself even deeper for Bayside, but only in preparation for what came next.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eTwenty years for any band to remain playing signifies nothing but a success story in the world of music, and on top of that, a punk band.  Half that time would impress even the more jaded professionals who believe in quick turnarounds for musical acts.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eBouncing Souls stepped onstage shortly after Bayside.  Mistakenly I had stepped out of a prime viewing spot, only to return to a packed floor and house.  The people in front started chanting “Here We Go,” over and over again, and it gained momentum until the curtains opened up and the chanting broke out into applause.  The band talked about performing on the night before Halloween, how they called it “mischief night” back in the day, and asked us if we were ready for some mischief.  The crowd went nuts and they started into “True Believers,” apropos for how everyone felt about the band at that moment.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe circle in front of the stage grew larger than it had been, and people unwittingly became sucked into its grasp, like a large human vortex.  People surfed above heads and arms on their backs, making their way to the stage.  Once a person stood fully upright and eye level with singer Greg Anttonito, who smiled and raised his eyebrows in response.  Anttonito carried the poise and self-assurance (and dress) of a car salesman just off work.  He maintained a level of cool throughout the entire show without it ever becoming boring or draining.  At one point he dodged several hats that flew from the fans onstage.  He picked one up, a blue LA Dodgers hat, put it on, and performed the rest of the song in it before throwing it back out.  His stage presence drew enough attention, even if he didn’t pull any antics.  The entire band devoted themselves strictly to the music.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAbout midway through a roadie delivered an acoustic guitar to Anttonito, who dedicated the subsequent song to the Misfits, a “band heavily influenced by Halloween.”  The song was “Hybrid Moments” off the Misfits’ album Static Age.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThey played straight through, each song not lasting more than two minutes, but the judging from the show as a whole nobody even noticed.  They stopped once to take a recommendation and played “Punks in Vegas,” then soon after took a break for an encore.  They ended with “The Freaks, the Nerds, and the Romantics,” wrapping up a brilliant pre-Halloween 20 year celebration of their music.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-4428262072782535005?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/4428262072782535005/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/bouncing-souls-el-rey-103009.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4428262072782535005"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/4428262072782535005"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/bouncing-souls-el-rey-103009.html","title":"Bouncing Souls @ The El Rey 10/30/09"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/Su9eazpGNaI/AAAAAAAAD74/qz914vsZ3ag/s72-c/IMG_8328.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-7371908874452324053"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-31T01:51:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-31T01:51:00.343-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bridge school benefit"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Family Tradition: Bridge School Benefit ’09 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SuqpbWV-Z1I/AAAAAAAAD7s/8kW9uAgpb0Y/s1600-h/BridgeSchool.jpg\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 235px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SuqpbWV-Z1I/AAAAAAAAD7s/8kW9uAgpb0Y/s400/BridgeSchool.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398313390676272978\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Andy Sweat\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Angry Staffer)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFor me, the end of every October is not capped off with a hot, fun, horror filled Halloween bash.  For the past 11 years running, the end of October means one thing for the Sweat Family: Neil Young and the Bridge School Benefit.  It’s a family tradition to come out annually every Saturday night near the end of October to hear an eclectic mix of modern and classic bands play an acoustic set for a good cause.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe 23rd Bridge School Benefit is organized by Neil Young and his wife, Pegi, to raise money for Bridge School – a school ran for children with severe speech and physical impairments cofounded by Pegi.  It’s the best family music concert event in the best venue in California.\u003cbr /\u003eMy siblings and a few friends got to the concert two hours early to make sure we could find prime real estate on the famous steep hilled Shoreline lawn.  We found the perfect spot, stage left, middle of the way up with easy access to the bathroom (planning ahead for the multiple bladder filled booze trips).  We spread out 3 huge blankets, plopped down more folding chairs than a flea market and staked our claim on the big grassy hill.  We sat down, and cracked a beer, soaking it all in as we observed the pre-concert buzz from the flood of people coming in with anticipation.  Eclectic mix of teens, tweens, hipsters, milfs, joe the plumbers, blue collar dads, tech geek pops, and middle class families – this was the place to be Saturday night in the Bay Area.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI must preface this review by stating that over the years the Bridge School Benefit concert has turned from a “nice family festival with garlic fries” into a “slosh fest, don’t stray from the blackness but accept it” benefit concert for my family.  We state that our intentions are never to get too wasted, but it now inevitably happens that way, as we’ve all reached our 20’s and (more importantly) realize that life is coming on fast with more responsibilities than we can handle (or want).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSaturday night meant music, family, friends and booze; those were our only responsibilities.  Not even the steep, overpriced $12 Tecate tall-boys could stop us from moderating our responsibilities.  Besides, it should be noted, every tall boy drank was for a good cause.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSo, to make me feel better and less of a total degenerate…. Tonight the Sweat Family drank for the kids of Bridge School.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eThe lineup is always a meat mix of bands straight from the past and modern top 40 charts.  Some lineups are way better than others.  And some are just down right dry and bare.  Here’s a list of bands/artists that’ve played in years past: CSNY, Phish, the Who, Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Tom Waits, Wilco, Sonic Youth, Beck, Thom Yorke, REM, Jonathan Richman, Lou Reed, Patti Smith, David Bowie, Springsteen, Dylan.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSaturday night, 2009 – we got: No Doubt, Chris Martin, Sheryl Crow, Fleet Foxes, Wolfmother, Monsters of Folk, Jimmy Buffett, and Gavin Rossdale.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eEnough said, right?\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWhether the lineup is dry, barren or down-right miserable, we were going to have a good time because Bridge School is one of the only concerts where you feel like these bands are playing on the lawn in your own backyard.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eHere’s some quick thoughts on their bridge school performance:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eGavin Rossdale (aka Bush, aka that Glycerin song, aka Gwen Stefani’s boy-toy/babysitter) – played his little ditties from the glory days of his 90’s past with no soul or creativity.  The word on the street is true: Rossdale has no talent and is best suited to take care of Gwen’s baby.  (0 Guns)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWolfmother (aka Aussie stoner rock band, aka band born in the wrong era) – enjoyed this band’s modern take on classic rock; people were generally digging this band and my family and I were too (probably due to the buzz we were starting to build from the booze, but still).  I have to admit: “Woman” was actually a pretty catchy tune when played acoustically. (3 guns)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFleet Foxes (aka King Harmonizers, aka the band that every indie kid HAS to like, aka you don’t like these guys? what’s wrong with you, aka I’m glad you came to your senses and now own everything they’ve recorded… on vinyl of course) – easily the best band of the night (sans Neil); great vocals, great sound; a band that epitomizes the cool, peaceful, Indian summer spirit of Bridge School.  But… to be honest… can sometimes be a snooze fest with some of their songs sounding too similar.  Overall, solid band with a lot of talent.  Played right as the sun was beginning to set.  Sky was redish-orange and Fleet Foxes were too.         (3.5 guns)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMonsters of Folk (aka Super Group Indie Country Band thingy, aka the band Conor Oberst and that guy from My Morning Jacket are in, aka Really? That’s their name? sigh) – they played a nice blend of folk/indie rock that sounded really nice in the cold Mountain View air.  Little bland at times, but mos def better than most of the other “bands” at this thing. (3 guns).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eSheryl Crow (aka Lance Armstrong’s Dumped Sweater Dumpling, Miss Grammy’s) – Sheryl Crow was fine.  That’s it.  She played her Grammy staples and sang normally and fine.  Ummm…. Yeah.  (1.5 guns: half-off for me having that fucking \"Soak Up the Sun\" song stuck in my fucking head today).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eChris Martin (aka Coldplay singer dude, aka Thom Yorke was here first guy, aka Gwyneth Paltrow’s man, aka the guy who named his kid 'Apple') – played a fair amount of Coldplay staples and had most of this mainstream listening crowd in stitches.  For me, I was about 7 beers deep and a half-a-joint in, and all that was troubling me was not being able to remember the name of that dude in that Shakespeare movie Paltrow was in. (2 guns)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eJimmy Buffett (aka Margarita Cheese Burger Dip Stick Douche Noggle, aka this guy has made a career on lame retired post-9to5 joe schmo, jack schmucks, and jane soccer mom poor taste, aka Hawaiian shirt faux pas old creepy guy) – FINALLY… My drinking problem came in handy.  I’m so glad I was too busy getting another Tecate tallboy for this ass clown hack: spending 26 bucks on 4 beers for missing this joke of a set was well worth it.  Also, during this set, I realized that it was Joseph Fiennes in Shakespeare in Love. (0 guns)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNo Doubt (aka the band that Gwen Stefani was in, aka the band with the album with peaces on it, aka the band with that Bananna Hollaback Girl) – No Doubt put on a classic set that had everyone in the crowd smiling and tripping back to 1995.  They played staples like Just a Girl, Don’t Speak and Spiderwebs.  It was a pleasant trip back to my teen years. (4 guns)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eNeil Young – best performer of the night.  Played classic songs from his legendary archive: Comes a Time and Harvest Moon were lovely standouts and capped the night off effortlessly and majestically. (4 guns)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eOverall, some ups and downs with bands and beer buzz… but no matter what the lineup is, Neil Young will always be there; and that alone makes Bridge School worth going. That and knowing my family and 12 beers await me next year on that big blanket covered backyard lawn.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e4 guns (2 for Neil and 2 for my family)\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eRandom Observations:\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI swear, weed smells better at Shoreline.  It smells how I imagine Woodstock pot would’ve smelled.  Anybody out there go to both Woodstock and Bridge School?  Might be a tough find…\u003cbr /\u003eTold my sister’s friend that her “pinky is gross.”  Not sure why I said that and she actually has a normal looking pinky.  I’d even go as far as to say it’s a rather nice looking pinky.  I’d like to take a moment right now to apologize to that person: I’m sorry for insulting your pinky.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFinal beer count: 6 tall boys (12 beers) and probably a joint (or two). Didn’t see the “I Survived Bridge School ’09” t-shirt at the merch table.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eI have to get this off my chest: Neil could be doing a better job at getting a higher quality of bands for this lineup.  A sort of dream, quite possible lineup I can foresee at bridge school: David Byrne, Grizzly Bear, Arcade Fire, Fleetwood Mac, Joni Mitchell, Jeff Mangum, and throw in Foo Fighters and Taylor Swift for the kids and Starbucks drinkers.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMaybe I was a little harsh on the ol’ Buffett-ster back there… wait, no.  That dick wad needs to GO AWAY!\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eAll proceeds from the concert go into that school. It’s an amazing school with great people.  If you’d like to donate, just go to this page and \u003ca href\u003d\"https://www.bridgeschool.org/about/donate.php\"\u003edonate\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-7371908874452324053?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/7371908874452324053/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/family-tradition-bridge-school-benefit.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7371908874452324053"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/7371908874452324053"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/family-tradition-bridge-school-benefit.html","title":"A Family Tradition: Bridge School Benefit ’09 @ Shoreline Amphitheatre"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8111779832833311780.post-6222377585808949886"},"published":{"$t":"2009-10-30T01:01:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-11-19T01:03:53.753-08:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"live and direct"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"chicks with guns"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"flyleaf"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Flyleaf @ The El Ray 10/29/09"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003ca onblur\u003d\"try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}\" href\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SuqkodfuOOI/AAAAAAAAD7k/unByHrbVLDc/s1600-h/Flyleaf+015.JPG\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;\" src\u003d\"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SuqkodfuOOI/AAAAAAAAD7k/unByHrbVLDc/s400/Flyleaf+015.JPG\" alt\u003d\"\" id\u003d\"BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5398308118376364258\" border\u003d\"0\" /\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003eWritten By: Jim Markunas\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e(Editor-In-Chief)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003ePhotos By: Victoria Hill\u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan style\u003d\"color: rgb(102, 102, 102);\"\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e(Urban/Pop Editor)\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eView all of Victoria's Flyleaf photos \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_zT7XrEZn2X\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622569352879/\"\u003ehere\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFlyleaf is awesome! This is a fact. They make Paramore look boring (which is hard to do). I've seen them play live exactly two times; both recently, one of which was tonight. The time before tonight was an \u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_yWr9k7o3JM\" href\u003d\"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/flyleaf-album-release-party-boardners.html\"\u003eacoustic performance\u003c/a\u003e by Lacey and Sameer. Acoustically, they were pretty good, but I couldn't help but wonder what vocalist Lacey Mosley would sound like live and backed by the rest of her band. I hoped for loud guitars, pounding drums, and more new material. Tonight, I got exactly what I wished for.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLacey came on stage wearing a white wedding dress with black boots boots, and proceeded to bring down the house. Usually, a band with a popular frontman/woman blends into the background without being noticed. This is not how Flyleaf operates. Sameer thrashed back-and-forth across the stage, attacking his guitar as if it were an evil ex-girlfriend, and/or masked assailant. Of the whole band, bass player Pat Seals, was by far the most fun to watch. Pat looks like a overly sinister/ghoulish vampire, complete with 'guy-liner' and hair that somehow blows in the wind like an actor in a Spanish novella; he's also the hardest working bass player in show business. By the second song, a new track off the up-coming \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eMemento Mori\u003c/span\u003e, Pat had managed to steal the show by climbing onto the drum tower and jumping acrobatically back down to the stage.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eMost modern rock bands have forgotten how to rock; not Flyleaf. I haven't seen this much movement since the last Barack Obama ralley. In short, great sound, great energy, and lots of stage antics - If you have a chance, check Flyleaf out on tour, and remember to buy a copy of \u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eMemento Mori\u003c/span\u003e on November 10th.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePaper Tongues opened. I wasn't expecting to be impressed, but I'll be goddamned if I wasn't completely blown away. Paper Tongues are an up-and-coming band; freshly signed to IGA. Their blended style of southern rock and roots made for quite the interesting listen. Full of energy, as any new band should be, Paper Tongues were quite the treat! They don't have an album out as of yet, but I've been told we can expect a debut pretty soon.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWatch out for Sebastian Barnum's review of Flyleaf's appearance in Portland, OR in the next few days.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 102, 0);\"\u003eWant More Flyleaf?\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_1sfXUo0lDj\" href\u003d\"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/flyleaf-album-release-party-boardners.html\"\u003eFlyleaf Album Release Party (Review)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_HSZDHbzCKE\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622498722788/\"\u003eFlyleaf Album Release Party (Photos)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_2d6I6fxbZb\" href\u003d\"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/flyleaf-el-ray-102909.html\"\u003eFlyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Review)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_bkUUBHxzJ8\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622569352879/\"\u003eFlyleaf @ The El Ray - Los Angeles, CA (Photos)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_35LxgRBNMC\" href\u003d\"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/11/flyleaf-hawthorne-theater.html\"\u003eFlyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Review)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_bctmwGlYDI\" href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/chickswithgunsmagazine/sets/72157622811127556/\"\u003eFlyleaf @ Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR (Photos)\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca id\u003d\"aptureLink_gJtwzAe6x3\" href\u003d\"http://cwgalbumreviews.blogspot.com/2009/11/flyleaf-memento-mori.html\"\u003eReview of \u003ci\u003eMemento Mori\u003c/i\u003e\u003c/a\u003e \u003ci\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8111779832833311780-6222377585808949886?l\u003dcwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/feeds/6222377585808949886/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/flyleaf-el-ray-102909.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/6222377585808949886"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/8111779832833311780/posts/default/6222377585808949886"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://cwgliveanddirect.blogspot.com/2009/10/flyleaf-el-ray-102909.html","title":"Flyleaf @ The El Ray 10/29/09"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"CWG, Inc."},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/08167826987284190998"},"email":{"$t":"editor@cwgmagazine.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"12156025679189771024"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8G41dtS7j8Y/SuqkodfuOOI/AAAAAAAAD7k/unByHrbVLDc/s72-c/Flyleaf+015.JPG","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","$t":"0"}}]}});