Summer Concerts

Yikes!! I have been neglecting my poor little music blog. I really have no excuse. (OK, I do have excuses, good ones too. But that's not what we're here for.) So, without further ado, come one and all to hear tales of that grand American tradition - summer concerts.


Kings of Leon


On July 20th Kings of Leon played at Fiddler's Green (or Comfort Dental Amphitheater or whatever the hell you want to call it). Kelly and I had tickets on the lawn because the not-on-the-lawn tickets were ridiculously priced. Openers were The Features and Built to Spill. I liked The Features. A great opener for Kings of Leon. The lead singer's voice reminds me a little of Eddie Vedder, but higher. I honestly don't remember a lot about Built to Spill's set. They weren't bad, but not really attention catching either.

Kings of Leon's set was pretty good...but I've seen better. They just didn't have that "I'm gonna make you hang on my every word like I'm Jesus" kind of spirit that I look for in a live show. Maybe it was because they were tired of playing "Use Somebody" and "Sex on Fire" over and over and over again. Maybe I just saw it that way because it was raining in my $13 beer. Who knows? For whatever reason, a lot of the show fell a bit flat to me. The best parts were when they played a few songs from their new album, Come Around Sundown, which hadn't been released yet at that point. The band had a little more fire when they played those.

All in all, it wasn't a bad show. The band played well, it just didn't have enough heart for me. I would like to see them again some day.


Sick Puppies


To celebrate both of our birthdays, my friend James and I went to see Sick Puppies at the Bluebird Theater on August 16th. The opener was a band from Florida called It's Alive. They were good. I'd describe their sound as hard rock, leaning toward metal. They did a fantastic job of getting the audience "into it." That is often very difficult for an opening band to do, especially one that's not well known. You could just tell they were having the time of their lives.

Sick Puppies' set was awesome. They have a surprisingly big sound for a three piece band. Emma is a super badass on the bass. There's one of their songs called Master of the Universe that I just can't figure out how she fits that many notes into that short of a space. Some of my favorite SP songs were on the set list, including Riptide and Street Fighter (War). They also did a cover of one of my all time favorite songs, Mad World, originally by Tears for Fears (but the Gary Jules version is my favorite). I was kinda silly-happy when they played that one. They had great energy onstage. It was a yelling, screaming, head banging good time.

You know it was a good show when you leave the venue with no voice, ringing ears, a lost left contact, and a bigger fan of the band than when you walked in.

The Black Keys

The Black Keys
You ever have one of those bands that you keep thinking "I should check them out," but for some reason you never do? For me, that was The Black Keys. A couple friends with similar taste in music recommended them, I liked the few songs I had heard, and they kept popping up on my iTunes Genius. But every time I went to the music store (I'm old-school, I still buy CD's.) I would end up getting other stuff. A couple weeks ago, I was out spending too much money on music (again) and I finally picked up their new album, Brothers.

I think I'm in love.

It reminds me of a lot of the stuff I love from the 70's, but it's got better groove. And it's deliciously bluesy. The music is fun and it makes you want to dance, but doesn't lack substance. Lyrically, The Black Keys don't really hit me like some other bands do, but that's not to say the lyrics are bad. I just don't relate. At the moment, my favorite track is Ten Cent Pistol. Tighten Up is the first single being released from the album, and I love the video for it.

Soon to come...

So, if you haven't heard, it's summer. Which means concerts! There are tons of shows I want to catch this summer, but time and funds are putting a damper on my plans (Ya know, Aubrey's Concert Fund is always taking donations.;)). I will be seeing Kings of Leon in just over a week, and Sick Puppies in August, possibly Mile High music festival, and Blue October in October (I guess that's after summer...). Expect full reviews for all of the above.

Blue October and the Pick Up The Phone tour

I am a firm believer that the only way to get the true measure of any band/artist is to see them perform live. I have been to my fair share of concerts. Many of them were fantastic. Amazing. Face-meltingly awesome.

But there's nothing like a Blue show.

I have tried to describe a Blue October show several times, and I don't think I've ever been able to explain it right. It's one of those things that you can never really understand until you experience it. There is so much raw emotion in Blue October's music. While I love the albums, there is a certain amount of that that emotion that just can't be recorded. When you go to a concert, you get all of it. I read a review recently that described a show as a "sing along love fest" and that is probably the best description I have heard.

This show was a little different than the others I've been to. The Pick Up The Phone tour was about more than the music, it was about suicide prevention. All the proceeds went to benefit Hopeline, To Write Love on Her Arms, and PostSecret. These organizations are trying to chip away at the stigma surrounding things like depression, and get people talking to each other. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death, yet the most preventable. The tour had a simple message: If you know someone who is depressed, or going through something traumatic, or even just having a bad day, talk to them about it. You don't even have to talk, just listen and don't judge. Make sure they know you love them. Don't be so quick to label someone crazy. And if you are the one with toxic thoughts in your head, don't keep quiet about it. There is help out there. Your life is not expendable. I can't think of a better cause for the cost of my ticket to go to.

The show opened with Independently Happy. Personally, I think every show should open with this song. That opening bass line alone is enough to send a bunch of Blue fans into a frenzy. Some of my other favs from this show were: James-so awesome live, a jumping, screaming, get out your anger song. Picking up Pieces and Congratulations-both very close to my heart. Into the Ocean-great song, and awesome guest vocals by Steve from Hurricane Bells. X Amount of Words-this is one of my all-time favs, and and the super extended jam at the end totally blew my mind. Video -here-

I was fortunate enough to get a spot on the rail on Ryan's side of the stage. I must say, it is fascinating to watch him play. He is an extremely talented musician, and that's an understatement. I don't think there was a single song where he didn't play at least two different instruments, usually more. He adds a certain beauty to Blue October's sound that is not present in most bands. It seemed like the guys were having a ton of fun on stage. There was so much energy, even more than usual. It was a great show, even by Blue standards.

Set List:

Independently Happy
Say It
HRSA
She's My Ride Home
Been Down
Dirt Room
James
Chameleon Boy
Picking Up Pieces
Congratulations
Into the Ocean
X Amount of Words
Jump Rope
My Never

Encore:
Come in Closer
Hate Me
Should be Loved

The openers for this tour were The Hurricane Bells and Stars of Track and Field. I didn't know it until the show, but The Hurricane Bells features Steve, the lead singer from Longwave (an awesome band I was introduced to at another Blue show last July). They played a great set, and toward the end of it were joined on stage by Jeremy and Ryan from Blue October and the drummer from Stars of Track and Field (who's name escapes me at the moment). After the show I picked up their album Tonight is the Ghost, and I love it a little more every time I listen to it. I highly recommend giving Hurricane Bells a listen. Stars of Track and Field were also pretty good. They had great energy and stage presence, and were fun to watch. Their sound is a little synth-heavy for my taste, but they were entertaining.

I (and the other people beside me) owe a thank you to whoever it was that moved the smoke machine behind the curtain. You saved us all from inhaling more of whatever they make that fake smoke out of. I thought I was gonna die during Stars of Track and Field's set.

Stay tuned for further adventures in Music on the Brain!

P.S.

Sorry it's taken me so long to get this review up! If you lived my life, you'd understand why. ;) Big thanks to James and Kelly for donating pictures. And gotta send some love to my Mile High Meanies! Waiting in line all day was half the fun. :D

The Maiden Voyage of the Music on the Brain Train

Hi everyone!

Welcome to Music on the Brain, my music blog. I have started this because...well, I've got music on the brain. So for those of you who want to know, this is what I'm into right now.

The Airborne Toxic Event- I love this band! If you've never heard them, here is how I would describe them: 2 parts The Cure+ 1/2 part Radiohead+ 1 1/2 parts string quartet+ a pinch of Morrissey+ 3 parts something unique and indescribable=Airborne Toxic. Their songwriting is fantastic, both musically and lyrically. I dig the strings. I bought their album (they only have one out) over a year ago, and I still listen to it on a very regular basis. They are currently in the studio working on their next album, and I am quite stoked to hear it. Click here for a video of one of my favorites.

It's less than a week until I get to see Blue October again! I even get to see them twice! Once at an acoustic show in a teeny tiny venue (somehow, the planets lined up just right and Kelly and I were able to score tickets in the 5 seconds before they sold out) and then again 48 hours later on the Pick Up the Phone tour. I don't think the word "excited" covers it. If you continue to read my blog, you will most definitely be hearing more about these guys.

Thanks for reading! There will be lots more to come in the future, so stay tuned.