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  1. 2008 Warped Tour, Los Angeles. Photo + Interviews + Reviews!

    August 22, 2008 by Steph

    11:15 The Academy Is…

    12:05 We the Kings

    –Interviews with All Time Low, Forever the Sickest Kids, and The Academy Is… available on our iTunes Podcast—

    3:15 ORESKABAND

    3:55 Forever the Sickest Kids

    4:20 All Time Low

    5:45 Relient K

    6:45 Say Anything

    7:00 Four Year Strong

    7:15 Katy Perry

    7:45 Angeles and Airwaves

    8:15 Gym Class Heroes

    We managed to arrive just in time to check in at the press tent, sign up for interviews, and make it back over to main stages to catch The Academy Is… go on first thing in the morning.  They opened with “Neighbors” to an unusually mellow and stagnant crowd.  The played some classics—”Slow Down” and “Classifieds”—mixed in with their new singles released this past Tuesday on Fast Times at Barrington High—”Summer Hair” and “About a Girl.”  These new summer anthems were perfect for getting started a long hot day at Warped Tour.

    We the Kings were the next act of (moderate) interest and we sauntered over there to catch a few pictures and a few songs.  They sounded like Boys Like Girls with more elementary lyrics and less catchy hooks.  “Cause if you jump I will jump too.  We will fall together from the building’s ledge never looking back at what we’ve done.  we’ll say it was love cause I would die for you” is cliché emo through and through.  As we walked away, we heard Travis Clark, lead vocals, tell the crowd to “spread the love” about their new album.  So if you consider the album “love” you have Travis’ permission to share it.

    Back over in the press tent, we waited around for our interviews.  They all went amazing and we ended up getting even more than we hoped for – All Time Low followed by Forever the Sickest Kids and The Academy Is… with Charlotte Sometimes later on in the day.  You can listen to all of these interviews on iTunes  – Addicted to Shows Podcast .

    After a couple of hours in the press tent, skipping way too many good sets, we caught ORESKABAND’s set.  They’re an all-girl ska band from Japan and they RULE!  Aside from them being adorable and bursting with anime-like bubbly excitement, they kick ass as a very legit group of musicians.  They shouted for us to sing along (which was a little hard since I think most of us don’t know Japanese) but the oo’s and ahh’s were definite sing-along, skank-along material and they put on an altogether fun set.

    Forever the Sickest Kid’s set was almost as good as their set at Warped Tour in Pomona—full of dancing, moshing, and sweatiness.  Their music really has this great energy and fun about it that it’s impossible not to get excited about it.  Songs like single “Whoa Oh!” and “She’s a Lady” got the entire crowd moving and a constant launch of crowd surfers.  I can’t possibly give the Kids more praise than I already have in previous reviews so I’ll quit while I’m ahead.  LOVE.

    The closer we got to the Hurley stage, the more dense the crowd got until we finally reached the staging area overflowing with kids—the ones farther out were observant, the ones closer in ready to get their effin’ dance on!  Some of the younger more novice kiddos weren’t quite prepared for what was about to go down – lots of people falling, crowd surfers falling through, and people upset about losing sandals (please don’t wear sandals to a show).  All Time Low’s set was fun, energetic, and definitely dance-worthy.  There was a dancy, sweaty mix out there on that black top with even a little bit of circle-pit action which is great to see at Warped Tour.  They played Poppin’ Champagne (without the bleeping.  Take that, MTV!), Six Feet Under The Stars and the rest of their fun, sing-along teenage anthems.  Fun, sweaty times.

    Heading over to the main stages, we were up front and ready for Relient K.  Where were all the die-hards?  I only saw people mouthing (not even singing) along for a few of the more recent releases.  But the crowd was in no way a reflection of their performance.  Matt gracefully floated between the piano and his guitar amidst xylophone-littered pop rock melodies with fantastic harmonies.

    Totally contrary to their normal rock genre, they busted out Kanye’s “Good Life” followed by their “The Best Thing.”  Off their new The Bird and the B-Sides (with 13 new and 13 old songs) they played “The Scene and the Herd” which sounded more Mhmm than Five Score.  Matt sang, “I see you magically got this song for free… Doesn’t bother me.  I’m gonna sing what I want.  It might not be what you want to hear.” which seems appropriate because Relient K has always done exactly what they wanted to, from the contemplative Five Score to the playful “Sadie Hawkins” which they played next (although Matt admits to be sick of it, it’s still a crowd favorite).  They segued their silliness into a song about The Office and then got a little more serious with “Who I Am Hates Who I’ve Been” and promotion of the charity Blood, Water, Mission.  They ended with “I Need You” – heavy and buck! Haha.

    We stuck around to try to split the next half hour between Say Anything and Four Year Strong but Rise Against made Say Anything start late and I was only able to see one of Say Anything’s songs – “Alive With the Glory of Love.” They had good energy, great vocals and a crisp sound that drew a huge crowd.  Fans had sat there through the last 4 sets just to get a good spot for them.  Dedication, and for a good reason.

    Hustling over to Four Year Strong, I caught the set mid-first-song.  This set… FANTASTIC.  They have the fun and energy of Forever the Sickest Kids and the heaviness of Set Your Goals creating this fun, dancey, head-banging, moshing monster.  There isn’t enough praise I can give Four Year Strong.  And their straddling between hardcore and powerpop-rock allows them to appeal to just about anyone – you WILL like them.

    They played my favorites off their album Rise or Dye Trying – “Prepare To Be Digitally Manipulated,” “Catastrophe,” “Abandon Ship Or Abandon All Hope,” and “Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Hell.”  Listen.  Now.

    Katy Perry was on the stage just to the left and we caught a few of her songs.  While I have to admit a guilty pleasure for the beat of “I Kissed a Girl” and her music is pretty great to play at a party, having to stand and watch Katy shake her booty around the stage was only mildly entertaining and probably more suitable for a male audience.  I caught “One of the Boys,” “If You Can Afford Me,” and “Hot n’ Cold.”  Impatient for cherry chap stick and “Ur So Gay” I decided to find our M.I.A. photographer.

    Unable to find Catharine, I ended up shooting Angels and Airwaves with my camera.  Being up front and center for Tom Delong & band was really incredible.  Him and former band Blink-182 probably influenced over half the bands on Warped Tour 2008.  Their sound is so epic and inspiring.  The fans were so into it they were practically climbing over the barricade in hypnotized enthusiasm.  While this (not really that) new direction for Tom is exciting, it can be a little strange for all us Blink fans to see Tom so serious.  Just for us, Tom threw in a “fuck, shit, poo poo, pee pee” for us before submerging into a personal favorite “It Hurts” and closing the set with the single off their first release “The Adventure.”

    Gym Class Heroes closed out the night, walking on stage to “End of the Road” which is pretty appropriate – the last act on the last date of Warped Tour.  A little sad… but they picked up the mood immediately with the obvious crowd-pleaser “Clothes Off” which brought on dancing and singing along.  Travis announced that their the successor to As Cruel As School Children is called The Quill and will be released September 9th.

    Off their new album they played a song with a chorus “Put up your peace sign, put your index down” and then their School Children slow jam “Viva la White Girl.”  To introduce their new fans to their excellent first release The Papercut Chronicles, they played a medley of “Simple Livin'” and “Taxi Cab” (my favorite).  Stealing a note out of Relient K’s book (or maybe the other way around) they busted out an amazingly clean rendition of metal band Lamb of God’s “Laid to Rest.”  They closed out the night, and the Warped Tour, with “Cupid’s Chokehold” with Katy Perry, Forever the Sickest Kids, and a female bunny costume on stage with them.

    2008 Warped Tour finished in Los Angeles after another long summer out on the road.  Some bands we got to see for a second time and some picked up somewhere in the middle and helped close it off.  Some bands we missed completely (sorry about that).  But this year was great and it was awesome to be able to see some new favorites on the stage for the first time.  If you guys don’t take anything else from this, I hope that you listen to our interviews and listen to FOUR YEAR STRONG.

    There are a ton more photos on myspace.com/addictedtoshows including other bands not included:  Cobra Starship and Ludo.  Check them out!

    Stay Saavy,
    Steph@A2S

    Photos by Catharine Acurso

    Category Interviews, Live | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,,, | Comments Off on 2008 Warped Tour, Los Angeles. Photo + Interviews + Reviews!

  2. Ingrid Michaelson with Greg Laswell and Arden of Eden

    June 30, 2008 by Steph

    Ingrid Michaelson with Greg Laswell and Arden of Eden at the House of Blues on June 23, 2008

    We arrived at the House of Blues at Downtown Disney on June 23rd just as the line began filtering inside the venue. We monopolized the shelf along the back of the sound booth for a good view and an easy place to get in and out.

    The show started even earlier than schedule and out on stage popped a bubbly woman with a huge perma-smile and her hair in pig-tail buns.  It was just her and a couple of guitars she exchanged between songs.  Her brand of ninetys-style girl rock seemed really dated.  Trying to pull up comparisons in my head, the only people I could think of were artists I listened to ten years ago – Joan Osborne, Alanis Morrisette, Jewel, Meredith Brooks… the list goes on.

    Her first song was for everyone there with their “really good friend” and the second was about the “fuckupedness” in the world.  With only a guitar and a pretty voice every song sounds the same however on her Myspace she has full instrumental on every song and the sound is completely different.

    Greg Laswell took the stage next.  Now this is the kind of indie acoustic rock that just makes a smile bubble up from the inside.  He started off on the keys with Brandon Walters on the electric guitar and Jon Titterington accenting the ballad with trumpet.

    Most of his songs had the twinge of sadness and loneliness.  “Sad songs are more fun” he said.  One of the saddest of the set started off as a happy one.  Greg explained to the crowd that his grandmother came to him in a dream and told him to write a happy song.  He demonstrated, “It started off happy” as he finger-picked a light melody on his acoustic guitar, but he slowed down the progression and as he did it turned into another heart-wrenching ballad, “Sing Teresa Says.”  He also sad-iffied (slowed down and made into a piano ballad) the age-old “Girls Just Want to Have fun.”  He did have a happy song, though and “How the Day Sounds” is a perfect interpretation of the feeling of a sunrise.  The set sounds like a downer, but his humor and light-heartedness counterbalanced the beautifully lonely melodies.

    The curtains re-opened and Ingrid Michaelson was sat familiarly behindthe keyboard and excitedly mentioned that this was the first time she’dhad curtains. To her right was Allie Moss onback up vocals and an acoustic guitar and to her left was Chris Kuffner playing the bass and a box drum. Her sound is clean and clear. You might genrize her as folk but saying that word would throw you into entirely the wrong direction. Her voice is soothing and intensely controlled creating a sweet melody for every compilation of instruments. Her vocals are the highlight and the sweet sincere lyrics are a close second with the instruments acting to accentuate the melody. She is one of the few people that sound fantastic on her album and three times better on stage.

    The second song of the set she introduced with three hints: 1. It’s about a ship 2. It’s the name of a movie starring Goldie Hawn 3. It rhymes with cloverboard. The song—”Overboard.” One of the great things about the night was her stage presence, great sense of humor and ability to laugh at herself. She told the crowd a story about how she pinned her tights to her bra the night she performed on Jay Lenno but almost didn’t get out of them fast enough when an emergency arose. She also reenacted the remix of “The Way I Am” (by The Black Dice?) which led her to rap “Ice Ice Baby” and then the Fresh Prince theme song.

    Later in the night she pulled out a ukulele to play “Far Away” and some other tracks. She also introduced some new songs throughout the night. “The Chain” she introduced with a little anecdote – she was sitting in her friend’s apartment in D.C. looking out on the “phallic symbol” that is the Washington Monument and decided she wanted to write a round. It
    has three female parts and she spent a good amount of time trying to decipher if someone in the crowd knew it well enough to fill in, but ended up singing it in two parts with Allie. They also played another new song “Something More” with beautiful lyrics, “Love I’ve broken you, but you’ve broken me too and we’ve both got blood on our hands.” The last of her unreleased tracks was “Be Okay” on the uke. As part of the finale she invited Greg Laswell and his band to play a tear-wrenchingly beautiful “Keep Breathing” that debuted on the Season 3 Finale of Grey’s Anatomy. As her encore she did a cover of “Fools Rush In.” The set was probably one of the best I have ever seen or heard and if you haven’t heard Ingrid before, listen. If you haven’t seen her before, watch.

    Stay Saavy,
    Steph@A2S

    P.S. More photos from this show in the Ingrid Michaelson album on Myspace

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  3. The Spill Canvas with Ludo, Steel Train, and Liam and Me

    June 30, 2008 by Steph

    The Spill Canvas with Ludo, Steel Train, and Liam and Me June 25th at the House of Blues, Anaheim, CA

    There’s a difference between being influenced by the eighties and recycling them. Apparently Liam and Me didn’t get the memo. This became abundantly clear as we tolerated the first band of the night with mimics and impressions followed by chuckles and sneers. Sneering is generally something we try to avoid and really, we tried. This band deserved nothing more. Setting their hyper-electronic time-warped cliché eighties pop aside, their performance on stage was memorable, but not in a good way.

    Matt O’Dowd, front man of the band on vocals and guitar and piano (not simultaneously, of course) insisted on giving himself a nod of approval after every song as if to say “Yes, I know we are God’s gift to you ears.” His “killer moves” were an incessant side step back and forth that made him look like he was jazzercising and his attitude was less rock star and more snobby department store manager. Near the end of the set they decided to cover “Enjoy Yourself” by Michael Jackson and I thought “finally, something they can be good at.” When I thought that the set was finally leveling off in annoyingness, O’Dowd decided to twirl some girls in the front row like a pervy drunk. Their “workout” song sound sounded exactly like their “slow jam” and O’Dowd molested the keyboardist. Curtain. Thank God.

    Steel Train took the stage and relieved the bad vibes the previous band had put out. Their heavy bass coupled with light keyboard and hollow booming, bright vocals made for a really dance-y folk-y sound. On certain songs, they sounded like U2 fused with heavier beats but twangier. They did a cover of the Smashing Pumpkins’ song “1979” and pulled it off without a hitch. They had good stage energy and are a band to look more into.

    Ludo hit the stage running with 10 tons of energy. Andrew Volpe, front man, guitarist, and vocalist for this fine five-piece filled the set with Jack-Black-like facial expressions and gyrations into his guitar. Their keyboardist, Tim Convoy, also wanted to be a front man, abandoning his keyboard to do full-on finger-licking air guitar around the stage mid-song.

    Their sound is up-beat rock with heavy snare and fun guitar melodies. The lyrics are dark and sadistic in a somehow light, humorous, and sometimes romantic way in songs like “Love Me Dead” the single off their new release You’re Awful I Love You. “Lake Pontchartrain” on the other hand is a horror story in song version. The song “Go-Getter Greg” was introduced by Convoy as a song about, “a creepy stalker douche bag named Greg. It’s not that good, don’t get excited.” Their self-deprecating humor was entirely unwarranted as their set was interesting and exciting including their cover of Faith No More’s “Epic.”

    The headliner took the stage led by a woodsy teddy-bear looking man named Nick Thomas, guitarist and vocalist.  Some of their tracks are heavy-bass and fast-paced electric guitar dance rock.  Their popular “Polygraph!  Right Now” off their 2005 One Fell Swoop got the audience shouting the lyrics.  A good chunk of their tracks however are acoustic-based and sincere slow-jams like “Bound to Happen” and “The Tide” with lyrics that are captivating and soulful.

    Their set included mostly songs off their older release like “All Hail the Heartbreaker,” “Lust a Prima Vista,” and “Natalie Marie and 1cc.”  They did play a couple tracks from No Really, I’m Fine from 2007 such as “Saved” and “Connect the Dots.”  Thomas explained that he’s always been a really big fan of old school R&B like Marvin Gaye and that they could say anything racy and make it sound smooth so when he wrote the lyrics to “Connect the Dots” he had them in mind.  They closed off the night with the heavy, heartfelt “Staplegunned” to an eruption of screams and applause.

    Stay Saavy,
    Steph@A2S

    *all photos taken from the respective bands’ myspace page or website*

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  4. Warped Tour, Pomona – June 20, 2008

    June 24, 2008 by Steph

    Warped Tour 2008 – Pomona, CA

    Somehow when Warped Tour comes through Pomona it always has the luck of falling on the hottest day of the year.  This year was no exception – highs at the Pomona Fairplex and plenty of cash was spent on water and Powerade to stay hydrated.  Even so, the heat seemed like an afterthought with such great bands all around.  After standing in line for almost an hour in what felt like a greenhouse, the line finally started to move and after jetting inside, we quickly picked out our stage schedule for the day and planned it out in our phones.

    12:05 Forever the Sickest Kids at the Smartpunk stage

    1:00 Mayday Parade acoustic set at the Myspace tent

    1:50 Relient K at the Highway 1 stage

    2:20 The Academy Is… at the Route 66 stage

    2:50 Cobra Starship at the Highway 1 stage

    3:20 Gym Class Heroes at the Route 66 stage

    3:45 Set Your Goals at the Smartpunk stage

    4:20 Anberlin at the Route 66 stage

    4:45 Charlotte Sometimes at the Ernie Ball stage

    5:35 The Maine at the Smartpunk stage

    6:40 Mayday Parade at the Hurley stage

    As you can tell, we spent all day running back and forth between stages and we sacrificed seeing some great bands in the hopes of seeing them when they come back around in August.

    For the first set of the day—and probably the band I was most excited to see—we headed over to the Smartpunk stage to see Forever the Sickest Kids.  This really fun dance-powerpop band was as awesome live as I’d hoped.  They were awesome performers and filled the set with fun scream-along songs. We even found ourselves jumping in the already sky-high temperatures.  Their set included (but probably not in order) “Believe Me, I’m Lying,” “Phone Call,” “Hey Brittany,” one of my favorites off their EP Television Off, Party On “I Don’t Know About You, But I Came to Dance” and ended with “She’s a Lady” from both the EP and their 2008 album Underdog Alma Mater.  They were one the highlights of this year’s tour – don’t skip them.

    Ducking into the Myspace tent, we were able to walk right in and take seats right at the front of the stage.  Apparently Mayday Parade is still a too-well kept secret.  By the time two members of the band sauntered on stage nonchalantly, the tent was comfortably full.  Derek Sanders—front man—took a seat behind the keyboard and Jake Bundrick—normally on drums and vocals—took a mic and a stool.  They opened with a passionate rendition my favorite featured on Punk Goes Acoustic II “Three Cheers for Five Years.”  Trying to ignore some sound issues, they started in on “You Be the Anchor That Keeps My Feet on the Ground, I’ll Be the Wings That Keep Your Heart in the Clouds” and then closed with the heart-wrenching “Miserable at Best.”  Sanders and Bundrick’s vocals complement each other in this perfect sincere and emotion-filled counterbalance so though they pull off their sound so effortlessly (smiling at other things going on in the tent and ignoring the “jump, jump, jump” going on from the tent next door”) it sounds desperate and sincere.  This set was fantastic and an awesome surprise.

    After a quick bite to eat in the shade, we scooted over to watch Relient K’s set on the Highway 1 stage.  They played a lot of songs off their most recent release Five Score and Seven Years Ago.  They added a Kanye intro onto one of their songs that got the crowd pumped and they included one of my personal favorites – “Who I am Hates Who I’ve Been.”  They had a ton of energy and a huge crowd and really rocked out.

    The Academy Is… had a huge crowd since it was midday and we had seen them so many times, we enjoyed it from the back.  They played two new songs—the first sounded like it had a lot of Nirvana influence with a chorus that sounded like Rod Stewart’s “Forever Young.”  It sounds like a weird combo but The Academy Is… has always been a really inventive band and this experiment worked.  The other new track sounded like dance rock with 80’s influence with a hint at the melody of the hit “Take On Me” and the chorus repeated “I’m not in love” (I think).  Again, worked awesomely and I’m super excited for a new release from them.  They mixed in their Santi single “Big Mess” and Almost Here classics “Slow Down” and “Checkmarks.”  The set was a good mix and new and spurred excited for things to come.

    We jetted over to Cobra Starship across the Fairplex.  Gabe Saporta’s vocals got off to a rough start but he warmed up quickly and so did the crowd.  Cobra Starship’s Alternative Press cover says “Who needs cred when you’re having fun?” and these guys definitely have fun on stage (and probably off to).  Every song is danceable and the band doesn’t hold out – plenty of grooving and hip shaking happening on the stage.  They opened with the anthemic “The City Is at War” from their recent LP !Viva la Cobra!   They also played “Kiss My Sass,” “Smile for the Paparazzi,” “Send My Love To The Dancefloor, I’ll See You In Hell (Hey Mister DJ),” and their famous “Snakes on a Plane.”

    The entire Cobra Starship crowd rushed back over to the main stage to see Gym Class Heroes.  They started with an interesting new song about peace and peace signs and segued into “Cupid’s Chokehold” without Patrick Stump.  They played a couple of other new songs whose lightness with heavy fast bass reminded me of The Hush Sound, a fellow Fueled by Ramen band.  Next came “Viva la White Girl” followed by an announcement for my favorite “Taxi Driver.”  They started it the way I’ve always loved… but somehow turned it into a heavy metal axe battle with screaming?  I don’t know what happened, but I didn’t enjoy it.  They ended with the crowd and radio favorite “Clothes Off!”

    At first we were a little apprehensive of joining the Set Your Goals crowd—all rowdy guys—but we got over that quick and joined in on the pushing.  The sentiment came through loud and clear—rebellious fight songs with heavy bass, wild electric melodies, and gang shouting.  They played “We Do It for the Money Obviously,” “Mutiny,” “Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Don’t Let This Win Over You,” and their single and my favorite “Echos.”  Their set was awesome and exciting.  DON’T MISS THEM.  That’s an order.

    We wandered over to hear the opening song from Anberlin but I’ve never really been much of a fan.  Even my friend who has been a fan for years said their rendition of “The Feel Good Drag” was more of a downer.  We decided to saunter over to the Ernie Ball stage to get up front and personal for Charlotte Sometimes.

    And by up front, I mean UP FRONT since somehow they didn’t drag much of a crowd.  As the set progressed, the band caught the interest of passersby’s and by the time they finished there was a little mob of wide-eyed gazers.  Front woman Charlotte dominated the stage and everyone’s attention with her expressiveness and powerful, controlled, and sassy vocals.  She flirted with her guitarist and practically frontally assaulted her keyboardist with her face… but I don’t think they minded too much.  Her set included sassy single “How I Could Just Kill a Man,” with “Army Men,” “This Is Only for Now,” “Toy Soldier,” “AEIOU,” “Ex Girlfriend Syndrome,” and “Sweet Valium High.”  It’s a rarity that such a vocally-based band sounds as good or better live as it does on the album, but Charlotte Sometimes is one of these gems.

    While we were waiting for The Maine to take the stage, we caught of bit of wacky Katy Perry.  Did you know she kissed a girl and she liked it?  How many times can you say that in one song?  ANYway, the Maine came on stage full of eff-bombs.  Yeah, I mean fuck.  But he was cute and entertaining which masked their slightly generic sound.  Their style was like Forever the Sickest Kids meets Cute is What We Aim For without the comb-over.  They opened with “Girls Do What They Want” which front man John O’Callaghan introduced saying “because they are.”  They also played the song they included on the Warped Tour compilation “The Way We Talk” and Akon’s “I Wanna Love You” off of Punk Goes Crunk.  Also, “If I Only Had the Heart.”  One of the songs he explained, “This song is about peace. Actually, it’s about pussies. And cute girls. And guys like me.  And masculine boys.  And…moustaches.”  The vibe and energy of the band was what made watching them so fun.

    Last band of our day was Mayday Parade (again) who was a little late getting on stage.  They finally met the crowd to a ton of excitement (maybe they aren’t really a secret?).  Their sweet vocals mixed with the heavy drums and excited power-chord guitar makes for the perfect combination.  Sanders seemed like an unlikely front man as the guitarists were better at attacking the stage and standing front and center but his sweet raspy commanding singing made him worthy of the role.  Their set included a handful from their LP A Lesson in Romantics such as “When I Get Home, You’re So Dead,” “Black Cat,” and “Jersey” and they were joined on their final song by Travis Clark of We The Kings.  Unfortunately Sander’s call for everyone to crowd surf especially anyone who hadn’t before detracted attention from the band’s awesome performance as people were falling through the crowd right and left (not really the experienced-crowd-surfer-type crowd) the set was pretty excellent.

    We managed to escape this year exhausted and without too much of a sunburn only looking forward to doing it all again in Los Angeles at the end of August. Hope to see you guys there.

    Lots more photos up in our Mypace album.  Check them out.

    Stay Saavy,

    Steph@A2S

    Category Live | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | Comments Off on Warped Tour, Pomona – June 20, 2008

  5. Augustana, Wild Sweet Orange, and Patrick Park – June 15, HOB Anaheim

    June 19, 2008 by Steph

    Augustana, Wild Sweet Orange, and Patrick Park on June 15 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California

    It was bright and sunny on Father’s Day afternoon when we arrived at the House of Blues Disney way too early. We sat on the edge of the fountain watching dads swing around their toe-headed tots and lines slowly grow in front of the venue. Something about this show already seemed different.

    The queue had more people wearing sandals than shoes and other than ours, there wasn’t a pair of converse or vans in sight. Even more impressive – we spotted two girls strut by in pink stilettos. The crowd-to-be was 3/4ths female – primped and styled to the T. The small number of guys seemed to mostly be dads and boyfriends.

    We got in about 2 hours later without a hitch and chatted and waited for the opener to take the stage.

    A lone minstrel walked up to the center mic with a guitar and a harmonica and we looked around expecting more people to follow and fill up the stage.  Nope.  Patrick Park performed a solo acoustic set.  When he started playing I was instantly impressed – his vocals are soothing and he created a rhythm with his voice using a repetition of crescendos and decrescendos.  The harmonica interlude got plenty of cheers and his guitar playing was delicate and sweet especially in the song “Something Pretty.”

    The problem was that the songs seemed to have little variation. Some
    of the keys were different and the rhythms changed but his voice hardly
    altered in style or melody and for the most part his set could have
    been one long song. This is a problem if you’re already tired and every
    song sounds like a lullaby. The best way to describe his style is “soundtrack music.” It’s
    exemplary of folk and any one of his songs could have come straight out
    of Garden State or Elizabethtown. So if you’re looking for background
    music to add to the soundtrack of your life, use Patrick Park to play
    during the montage of you traveling cross-country.

    Next on the night’s agenda was the band who’d received such rave reviews – Wild Sweet Orange. From start to finish they were simply captivating and completely lived up to incredibly high expectations. Lead vocals Preston Lovinggood jammed on an acoustic guitar while to his right (our left) Garrett Kelly grooved to a loud bass rhythm, Taylor Shaw on stage left played with heavy distortion and reverb on the electric guitar, and Chip Kilpatrick on drums filled the melodies with light beats and plenty of cymbals. In every song, the vocals seemed to convey intensity and urgency without being over the top, ranging from whispers to full-on screams. Every song had a unique flavor and put the audience on their toes waiting for each new recipe.

    Songs like “Ten Dead Dogs” had an acoustic-ballad feel whereas “Wrestle with God” had a stronger Johnny-Cash sound with heavy drums and gained intensity as it progressed like a freight train rattling into the venue. Nothing but love love love for Wild Sweet Orange – their whole set was a smorgasbord of musical deliciousness.

    The headliner of the night was quick to follow – Augustana. We’ve all heard “Boston” right?  After the album (and iTunes single) that made them popular All the Stars and Boulevards they finished their 2008 release Can’t Love Cant Hurt for which we can thank this fine tour.  They opened with heavy steady beats, simple catchy melodies, and soft and rugged vocals peppered with sweet falsetto.  Dan Layus made the perfect front man – attractive, intense, and a gifted musician.  John Vincent on the keys (who vaguely resembled the Geico caveman) added a startlingly sweet harmony creating a near-perfect vocal balance.

    For “Fire” Layus went very Elton-John-status soloing on the piano creating a gentle ballad.  Later the four gathered around a vintage microphone for “Sunday’s Best” (for which the audience had been shouting all night) with two guitars and a five-part harmony that sounded how the Dixie Chicks would if they grew balls and toned down their country influence (that is in no way a diss but a profound compliment).  Plus they added “Orange County” to the lyrics – how could the audience be less than in love?  Dan prefaced the song “Reasons” by explaining “This song is about the ups and downs of love and all the stuff that comes with it.  Mostly the downs, of course.”  This song had a bit of a country twang coupled with one of the sweetest harmonies I’ve ever heard with simple and cold but somehow heart wrenching lyrics:

    “You have your reasons, lord I have mine
    Don’t call me baby, don’t even try
    You have your freedom, lord I have mine
    Don’t call me baby, don’t waste your time”

    When they finally gave in to “Boston” it became an instant crowd sing-a-long.  Their set overall was a triumph at showcasing their ability as musicians but somehow their capability of engaging the audience was lost.  Except for those that were singing along to every word like Augustana was N*Sync in a convention center circa 1999, the rest of us were left trying hard to pay attention.  It didn’t help that there wasn’t much audience interaction from the band.

    Overall, I’d say the night was an interesting sort of success. It was definitely not lacking in talent or passion, but simply low on the excitement scale – something that I’m not too used to.

    Stay Saavy,
    Steph@A2S

    More photos can be found in our Augustana album

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  6. The Kooks at Jimmy Kimmel

    May 29, 2008 by Colleen

    On Wednesday, May 21, the British band, The Kooks, performed for Jimmy Kimmel Live as part of the show’s outdoor summer concert series.  I was lucky enough to snag a ticket and watch this increasingly popular band perform songs off of their new album, Konk.  The concert took place in the parking lot behind the El Capitan Theater, with an audience of about 200 people, which allowed the band to effectively connect with everyone, as it was such an intimate setting.  The band casually entered the stage, humbly introduced themselves, and opened with their newest single, Always Where I Need to Be. In contrast to their signature laid-back appearance, I was instantly grabbed by the intensity and emotion in singer Luke Pritchard’s facial expressions and stance as well as drummer Pane Garred’s constantly changing facial expressions and body movement, which mirrored the intensity of the music.  This dynamic change in presence from the moment the band walked on the stage to the start of the show set the tone for the strong performance they were about to give.  The array of songs continued to showcase the band’s innovative sound by performing some of their acoustic driven songs, such as Tick of Time, a personal favorite as it is a more raw sound that presents Pritchard’s wide vocal range.

    Pritchard worked to further rev the audience’s energy level, which allowed the audience to continue to connect with the band as their personality seeped through their musical performance.  This, intertwined with the balance of lyrics and instrumentals made for a great set, as neither aspect of any song overpowered the other.  I have only listened to The Kooks’ music on albums, so I was extremely happy that their live performances did not stray from the sound they present on records.

    *photos from http://www.thekooks.co.uk/

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  7. Air Traffic with Team Water Polo and Wall Birds in London

    May 20, 2008 by Steph

    Air Traffic with Team Water Polo and Wall Birds at Shepherd’s Bush in London

    It was raining when I sauntered up to the box office at Shepherd’s Bush Empire on April 30, 3008.  Trying hard not to look like an idiot, I managed to pick up my tickets and sneak into line without standing out too much.  The crowd and the venue had a strange familiarity…but with British accents.  I was mostly surrounded by teenage girls save several groups of teenage guys laughing off their awkwardness.  Unlike sunny California, however, many of the scenesters were trying to fit under the very small eves of the venue or the few umbrellas to avoid the rain.  It’s London.  You’d think they’d be used to think.  Before long security let us in and I found myself in this round, tall, classic-style building which reminded me of a mix between the Avalon and the Wiltern.  While some kids were quick to grab the barricade, others formed circles like middle school kids at recess—it seemed like a lot of them knew each other.

    I got up the nerve to ask two girls standing next to me – they were probably about 16 or 17 and seemed pretty excited for the show to start – whether Air Traffic was famous.  It probably sounded like an idiotic question and I would have liked to pick their brain about their knowledge of the band, but I thought that too much.  They told me that they weren’t too famous but some people knew of them.  I asked if they had ever seen them before and they responded negatively.

    After much anticipation, these guys I had seen early trying to back their van out of the driveway took the stage.  They’re apparently a band called Wall Birds (although they never once mentioned it during their set and I only found out by snagging a list from security).  This anonymity may have been to their advantage though.  The bassist played rhythm like it was a stand up creating a sort of two-step beat and this could have made the style interesting, but the heavy strum of the acoustic guitar by the leads and the overuse of cymbals by the drummer—not to mention the country accent the lead seemed to adopt while singing—created this really weird mesh of genres. Or maybe not so much a mesh of genres as an identity crisis.

    They were starving for attention and drowning in their unoriginality.  Their sound was very Johnny Cash meets Murder by Death with a little Matt Nathanson.  Their energy was exciting and they were good at keeping the crowd excited and dancing, but their certain cockiness was not backed up by anything but super Brit rock costumes.

    And here is something else I don’t get—this new obsession with hair band stage antics, especially when really inappropriate. The lead decided that in this genre, playing an acoustic guitar, it would be a good idea to get on his knees and full on rock out. More than once. Can this be explained? I don’t think any of it can.

    Not to mention there was an entire problem with the lead promising his hat to the person that danced the most and then upon finishing the set and being chanted on to pass the hat, he muttered “fuck off” and left the stage.  He then came back, angry but faking a smile, and instead of passing it to one of the girls in front who had obviously been dancing the most, he threw it to the back of the venue.  I don’t think this band gained too many fans that night.  So maybe it’s good that no one knew their name.

    I’m pretty sure that these bands had entirely too long to set up. There were 30 minute set breaks! Who needs 30 minutes! Anyway, the next band finally took the stage at 8:30.

    This was Team Water Polo. Unfortunately, they’re probably exactly how their name makes them sound. It went from terrible to bad, which I suppose is technically an improvement. Their set up was a guitar, a bass, drums, and a turn table. The turn table was an interesting addition… creative at the very least. Also, off in the shadows was an older sneaky man and it looked like he was mixing, but not in the spotlight? That looked a little shady to me.

    Their music was filled with unnecessary and butchering falsettos. Every once in a while lead vocal would turn into the guy from The Darkness. And then the bassist and the guy on the tables filled the intervals with falsetto “ooo”s and “aahh”s which just did not work. Not only did they seem completely awkward, but sometimes the phrases would end completely whiny and off key. If I wanted to hear a high school choir I would not have come to a venue. Their whole get up seemed like a bad parody of bad 80s pop with Ramones gang shouts.

    At the end of the set, I was a little worried about what was to come. I had heard Air Traffic on their Myspace but new absolutely nothing about them before I bought these tickets. I was so completely and utterly aurally satisfied and felt like the opening bands had been the test to be able to enjoy the pleasure of being in the presence of Air Traffic. They were completely brilliant.

    The lead switched back and forth from guitar to piano where instead of a bench he used an amp case to sit on. Not only did he look passionate about what he was doing, but everything about the music was passionate. The percussions created a heavy beat which amped the already excited room and got everyone dancing. The music was safe enough to be familiar but experimental enough to be interesting. It was a complete fuse of so many genres with each song unique and defined from every other. The vocals were pitch perfect and smooth and sincere.

    The band ended the set with a minor key ballad which was beautiful and heart-wrenchingly so followed by Suffragette City (which most of these teens probably knew from Guitar Hero). They sounded overall like Coldplay meets Nightmare of You and The Killers. The crowd loved it and the venue was jam packed by the time they finished. I guess Air Traffic is more famous than those girls thought. And they’re way more talented than I expected.

    (More photos available in the Air Traffic album on our Myspace)

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  8. First show in Spain! Le Jonathan Reilly, Margarita, Grabba Grabba Tape

    March 6, 2008 by Steph

    So I swear that Siroco’s website (www.siroco.es) said the show started at 21.30 (which is 9:30, right? Ugh military time!). Turns out I booked it there for nothing. I finally got to the sticker- flyer- and graffiti-covered door where a tall guy with buzzed hair was slouching behind a podium.


    I sputtered out some botched Spanish that was supposed to mean “What time does the show start?” The guy looked me up and down and chuckled.     “A las diez y media.” “Diez y media?” I repeted to confirm. “Sí. Uh… teeen thiiirtyyy” and he snickered at me again. I couldn’t tell if he was laughing because I don’t look like the kind of girl to go to a punk show or if it was because I’m American. Either way, it irked me.

    I sped off frustrated and found a bar around the corner where I ordered a Corona (Woo! Something familiar!) and stared off into space for half an hour.

    I finally re-arrived, unfashionably right on time, and paid my 7€. The music hadn’t started yet so I took a seat in the bar/lounge for a while, which was filled with neon blue and orange lights. I played games on my phone and tried to look busy. The room started to fill up and after about a half hour I heard them sound-checking downstairs. I, along with the rest of the mass of people, headed below.

    Downstairs waiting for the band to start, I got a chance to check out the crowd. The room was filled with mostly mid- to late-20s, some a bit older. Most of the girls had longer black hair with straight, thick bangs and reminded me of the girls from SLC Punk. One of the guys, who seemed to know a lot of the people there, was wearing a tight shirt, skinny jeans, converse, and long unkempt hair. I wanted to give him a huge hug because he reminded me of every scene kid in California that I’m missing right now. The other guys were sporting more retro clothes – I saw some flannel shirts, some Black Sabbath t-shirts, lots of black in general. Several of the guys had longer hair and beards and looked pretty grungy. Overall, it felt like what I imagine punk shows 10 years ago to were like – dark, smoky, and lots of booze. And then I noticed the music…

    Let me preface this with saying that I don’t think I’ve ever seen or will see anything quite this weird in a venue before. The band Grabba Grabba Tape consisted of a “man” at the keyboard and a “man” on the drums. “Man” is in quotes because they were both dressed in suits which make them look like chicken. Red rubber covered their face which was attached to a white, fur-like fabric that encompassed their head and the rest of their bodies except for rubber that surrounded their thighs. I don’t know how I could possibly take them seriously! I let out a pretty audible laugh.

    Unfortunitely I didn´t get any photos of them, but I pulled these off their myspace…

    The keyboardist was playing rock-electronica while the drummer bashed away at the drums. They were somehow in sync. And then add to the mix that the drummer had a mic but the vocals were so distorted that they sounded like a melodic, echoing buzz accompanying the keys. It was hard to differentiate the vocals from the music, let alone tell what the words were (if there were any). At least one of the songs was a 90s punk cover, maybe more. No clue what the other ones were. And between each song, the drummer would say some stuff in Spanish, which I am inclined to call a story except that it was more like random words strung together to create ridiculous sentences. I don’t know if the Spanish people actually liked them or thought they were crazy too, but there was some definite head-bobbing and laughing going on. All in all, I would like to say that I hated them, but I really think they’re too funny to hate. The music really wasn’t that terrible. It was in key, even though it wasn’t very clean. So although it would pain me to praise them, I have to concede to their okay-ness.

    After the chickens left the stage, some guys from the crowd walked on and started moving around equipment. Almost everyone from the crowd retreated to get a new drink or smoke or whatever. I took the opportunity to get closer to the stage hoping that I could more discretely take photos (but of course some black-haired bitch stepped right in front of me later).

    Turned out those guys who walked on stage actually were the band. They looked like normal dudes. This band, Margarita, was a four piece and other than the guy on backup axe looking super old, they could have been from “The States.” The vocals were in Spanish and were an obvious attempt at punk – raspy and yelling. The music was rough and unpolished, but doesn’t most punk sound that way? The back up singer was whiney and at times sounded like completely haphazard droning, but that could have been intentional…? I wasn’t bothered by the music, but it wouldn’t have crossed my mind to buy their CD.

    The second set change came, everyone left again, and I decide to cop a squat on one of the build-in benches along the walls. A girl and guy walked up and stood in front of me. She pulled out a bag, took out a pinch of herb (could have been pot, but more likely hash) and a paper and rolled a “puro.” THEN the guy pulls a needle out of a bag, flicks it, and then sticks it in his side like it’s no big thing! Granted, this could have been insulin. But I have never seen anyone shoot ANYTHING up especially in a crowd full of people.

    Finally these average, emo-looking kids take the stage wearing jeans and t-shirts and the crowd pushes back in again. I know the name of this band! The headliner, Le Jonathan Reilly, sound better than they do on their Myspace. Punk is definitely a

    genre better heard live. The dual vocals sound good together and although their words were few, it was in English! There were even some songs I could slightly sing along with, having heard them on Myspace first. The guitars were had a lot of distortion and the drums were heavy… they used the basic punk equation. I definitely liked these kids (but it’s possible that it can be attributed to a state of delirium after having been deprived from
    shows).

    After their encore, Le Jonathan Reilly left the stage and the crowd migrated – half upstairs and half to the bar. I made my way back up the stairs to where a merch table was set up. What I found there was two vendors – the one on the left had a box of vinyls and people were buying them right and left. The guy on the right was selling CDs, some of which was band merch.  I was able to snag the names of the bands off CDs (since they were never announced on stage).

    I wandered away happy. I had my show fix. I got my groove on. Lost a little more of my hearing. I’m set. For a few weeks at least.

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  9. Sherwood with The Matches, The Higher, and We Shot the Moon at The Knitting Factory

    February 4, 2008 by Steph

    Sherwood with The Matches, The Higher, and We Shot the Moon at The Knitting Factory on February 2, 2008

    So I ran halfway from the parking garage to The Knitting Factory full of excitement and nervousness with my two friends – Cassie and Liz – trailing behind.  I strolled up to the window just to be embarassed with, “I’m sorry, you’re not on the list.”  Crap.  And the show was sold out. After a few phone calls and some really awesome people, the three of us were able to arrive fashionably late mid-set of the opening band.

    Jonathan Jones - Vocals, keys, guitar, and mastermind of We Shot the Moon

    We pushed and maneuvered about half-way up to the stage and settled into a nook in the crowd to enjoy We Shot the Moon.  They looked pretty average – guitars, drums, bass, keys – but their sound was remarkably impressive.  Johnathan’s vocals were mature and controlled.  The keys were a refreshing throwback to unadulterated piano, but the heavy drum still made you want to get up and dance.  If Ben Folds decided to do power-pop, I think this is where he’d end up.  They had already convinced me of their idea, but when “Welcome Home” came on, it won my heart.  Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good slow jam, but this is download worthy – legally, of course.

    The crowd was pretty mellow through WSTM, and it was obvious a lot of us hadn’t heard them before and were hesitant to get into the groove.  As soon as The Higher came on though, people got their feet moving.  Front man Seth was quick to step right up front and steal our attention.  I could feel how much he loved performing – and he’s great at it.  He wasn’t afraid to make eye contact; he sang a few lines to me while making crazy eyes.

    Seth of The Higher

    Their sound ranges from dance-y and funky on songs like “Insurance” to heavy tracks like “Diaries.”  I hadn’t noticed while listening to their album, but Tom’s voice is very “pretty.”  With his look he reminded me of Taylor Hansen meets American Idol.  It definitely worked for the crowd though – everyone in the place was dancing and jumping whether or not they knew the songs.  Some of the tunes were less memorable than others, but the best part of the set was when Seth announced, “I’m gonna play a song you guys know” and started in on “Histrionics,” which is both their best (and shortest 🙁 ) song!

    Shawn Harris, The Matches

    So next up on stage was The Matches.  I’d only heard one of their songs, “December is for Cynics” off of Santa Cause, a Punk Rock Christmas, which I really like, but I was told, “Fuck The Matches” by a friend upon hearing the line up of the night’s show.  I didn’t know what to expect.  Out come these kids, color-coordinated in black and red to the string intro of “Salty Eyes” and Shawn Harris steals the mic like he owns the stage.  Who the fuck does he think he is?  Initial reaction — they pissed me off.  This asshole looks like Johnny Cash reincarnated as Gerard Way with vocals reminding me of Brandon Reilly of Nightmare of You.  This fucker is clad in polka-dots and a little girl’s red sweater, but I got into the music.

    Although I wanted to hate them, I couldn’t take my eyes off.  The whole band’s “I don’t give a fuck” metality made me want them–when is that not true?   I realized I knew a few of their songs.  I found myself singing along to “May your organs fail before your dreams fail you!”  The heavy drum and the bass groove got me shaking my hips and thowing my head simultaneously.  Before I realized it, they were on their last song.  Awh, over already?  That’s the sign of a good set.

    Nate, lead vocals of Sherwood

    Nate, lead vocals of Sherwood

    Nate Henry of Sherwood

    The long-awaited Sherwood were up next.  By this time, I had made my way up front.  I was so anxious for their set that when I noticed a roadie put down the set list, I asked a girl in the crowd to take a picture of it on my camera.  I was stoked to find they had a lot of my old favorites prepared.  I’ve seen Sherwood a couple of times since they toured with my favorite band The Rocket Summer in 2005.

    They got off to a rocky start – for the first song and a half, Mike’s keys weren’t on.  After the glitch there was an immediate change in Mike’s attitude, and he became his crazy usual self that I remember–bouncing around on stage and letting out somehow-harmonious screams of exultation.

    Dan Koch, sexy beast according to drunken girls.

    Dan Koch, sexy beast according to drunken girls.

    I had gotten it in my head when I saw Sherwood open for The Academy Is that I didn’t like their new stuff.  Maybe it was that I just didn’t know it, but this time I got into it. Their newer album is a lot less acoustic and sounds more processed with the drum machine like in the song “Alley Cat.” At the show though, they played an acoustic version that gave me chills.  “Learn to Sing” and “I’ll Wait for You” still remain my favorites, but their new dancier (yes, I just created that word) tunes are to my liking.  I was pissed off that some drunk girls were shouting over a gorgeous heartfelt “This Airplane is a Ribbon,” but I loved it (along with Mike and Joe blowing bubbles) all the same.

    Mike,. Sherwood's designated wild man

    Mike,. Sherwood's designated wild man

    I know I usually make a few comparative references, but to me, Sherwood is just Sherwood.  Their style is simple and heartfelt.  They don’t ravage the stage or dress like a bunch of douchebags to get your attention, but that’s because they don’t need to.  Sometimes on stage they can look a little lackluster, but just close your eyes and feel their music.  Because that’s what it’s really about, right?

    I left with a major high (what can I say?  music is my drug) and the ladies and I scored a sweet West Aspen Merch demo CD and Forever the Sickest Kids stickers outside.  Leaving a show is always the worst part… until you get into your car and listen to the bands all over again.

    Stay classy, scenesters.  <3 Steph

    p.s. for more photos, check out the Sherwood album on our Myspace

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