Since 1984, Bon Jovi has graced the music world with songs that make women tear off their clothes, jump like fools and pump their fists.   Since 1984…

With 26 years and an extensive discography under their southerly clad belts, one would hope a Bon Jovi set list would be filled with these exciting, fist pumping songs. Oh, on contrary my friends.

Dashboard Confessional opened and the people behind me demanded that I sit down before I actually arrived to my seat.  I didn’t want to break it to them, but once Bon Jovi got on stage, I had no intentions to sit down. NONE!  I used to listen to Dashboard during my lonely and depressed high school years; so taking my seat for them would be fine.  Sadly though, this incident AND the band foreshadowed the actions AND feelings the rest of the night would bring.  But at the time, I had high expectations for Bon Jovi and knew/thought they would lift my spirits.

However, opening with “Blood on Blood” and “We Weren’t Born to Follow” brought only a scattered bunch to their feet.  Until “Bad Name” started, finally the soccer moms stood up and screamed desperately for Richie Sambora’s flat-ironed hair and plastic face to play to them.  I felt elated and just knew that things would continue with the upbeat pace.

But then they quickly reverted with six new songs in a row (sit down) then “It’s My Life” (stand up) and a cover of “Hallelujah” (sit down) originally sung by Leonard Cohen.  If you don’t know that song, pour yourself a bottle of wine, download the Jeff Buckley version and brace yourself for tears.  Why Bon Jovi decided to sing that at a 20k person venue that wasn’t there to raise money for Haiti is beyond me.

It felt like Catholic Church. And after a fistful of acoustic hymn-type tunes and Jon Bon jumping up and down with a tambourine, my friends and I chose to flee.

Forty five minutes after our departure while discussing not the concert but our daily sins at a nearby Denny’s, a friend posted on Twitter that they finally sang “Wanted Dead or Alive” and “Livin’ on a Prayer” for the encore.  The charm of an encore has clearly been forgotten, Mr. Jovi.  You don’t make people stay for the encore.  You make them stay because they WANT TO STAY through the blessed joys of unison praise to hits, one after another. The encore is for shock value, leaving a surprise for the end.  NOT YOUR TWO BIGGEST HITS, YOU PRICKS.

As we walked out, I took note of a snippet of lyrics that  summarized my emotional and physical feelings: Give something for the pain, something for the blues, something to get me through the night.

A turkey melt, seasoned fries and a prayer before bedtime did that for me.  Not Bon Jovi, and not the nostalgia that utterly lacked at HP Pavilion.

My thoughts exactly!

Last night I finally attended my first KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show. I’m not sure why they call it that, because no one plays acoustic. I guess it’s a clever joke in the minds of the KROQ people, but whatever. Despite the fact that the station didn’t give me any tickets for free, even though I called in a few times, I secured tickets in the Loge section and had a pretty decent view for the show. The pictures below were taken from my seat, so excuse the lack of up-close-ness.

Overall opinion: the show was a lot of fun, with some great performances. I really liked the Gibson Ampitheater, as the sound was incredible (with one exception I’ll cover later). The crowd, though, was super lame. They seemed like they were only there to see Muse, yet when Muse played, the people in the pit just stood around or danced lightly, without any sense of excitement other than cheering after the songs. Maybe I’m just old-fashioned, but I generally go nuts when a band I am really excited for is playing. I don’t just stand there and Tweet or sip my 13 dollar beer. Meh.

White Rabbits – They opened the show and were really impressive. The band has a cool, percussion-heavy sound, with frequently more than one band member playing some form of drums. The main singer guy plays piano and sings, but he trades off that duty with one of the guitarists as well. They played songs from both of their records Fort Nightly and It’s Frightening, and sounded great. It’s a shame the place was pretty empty when they played, because they were a highlight. Such is the fate of opening bands, I guess.

White Rabbits

Metric – Lead singer/guitarist Emily Haines boppedaround the stage with undying energy in her shiny black pants.  From their newest album Fantasies, Metric played Stadium Love, Gimme Sympathy (one of my favorites) and the single Help, I’m Alive. I’m not really familiar with their other three records as much, so I didn’t know the rest of the tunes that they played, but they were also impressive. They should receive more credit than they do, as Haines is a much more engaging and enjoyable female vocalist/focal point of her band than Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (ugh) is with her cat screeches and annoyingness. Unlike the No No No’s, Metric actually has some great songs.

Metric

Next up was Cage the Elephant. I saw them at Coachella last year and was blown away. Their set last night, while not received very excitedly from the lame crowd, was just as great. Besides playing Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked and Back Against the Wall, they played what I assume were new songs. The last song sounded like In Utero- era Nirvana, with fuzzy guitars and singer Mathew Shultz doing Kurt-esque screams and spazzing around onstage with relentless fury. If it is a sign of where their next album will go, I’m already looking forward to it. The crowd, though, mostly stood around. At the end of the set Shultz stage dove and crowd surfed around for a bit, which got the pit people a bit excited.

Cage the Elephant

Phoenix – These French dudes really impressed me too. I still can’t get into their album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, the one that everyone rants and raves about, but their live show made up for it. They were also the first band that the crowd seemed really enthused about, standing up and cheering the whole time. Phoenix came off like a more full-sounding the Strokes, with a lead singer in Thomas Mars who actually moves around and is engaging. By the time they played the big radio hit 1901, the crowd was very lively. Mars ended the song by going into the crowd and singing the refrain from the pit, which always gets people excited. Mars knew what he was doing. Now if only their album kept my attention as much…

Phoenix

Vampire Weekend – Meh. Their songs are quirky, yes, but to me they are basically the indie version of Panic! At the Disco (If this statement offends your indie hipster point of view, readjust your scarf and calm down). They sounded fine, but I just can’t get all excited and worked up about them. Judging by the crowd their set was a big bathroom/snack/smoke break, too. I just don’t subscribe to the hipster hype machine that lauds them with so much acclaim.

Vampire Weekend

Slightly Stoopid –I knew back when the lineup was first announced that Stoopid wouldn’t really fit the bill very well. I’ve seen them quite a few times, and they have a ton of albums, but all KROQ plays of theirs is 2AM from Chronchitis. Because of that, the crowd seemed bored and stood around listlessly until that song.

Stoopid did play a good selection of tunes for the radio show, such as Officer and Running with a Gun from the album Everything You Need, but for the most part they seemed just as out of place as I had expected them to. Sandwiching them around a bunch of hip indie bands probably didn’t help.

Slightly Stoopid

The Bravery – Breaking up the reggae/rock mix of 311 and Slightly Stoopid were the Bravery, NYC’s synth/new-wave pop band led by Sam Endicott and his silly hat and Robert Smith-ian croon. They’re not a bad band by any stretch, but some of their songs are a bit draggy and anti-climactic. They did play a new song called Hatefuck that wasn’t as Trent Reznor-ian as its name would imply; it was instead rather dance-y, as expected, but it did come with this weird video on the jumbo screen that looked like some old version of 1950s soft-core porn that was a bit distracting and funny. Ending with An Honest Mistake, the Bravery’s performance was basically just as I had expected it would be. It was just odd how highly they were listed in the bill, and playing between Slightly Stoopid and 311 added to the confusion.

The Bravery and Sam Endicott's hat

311 – I’ve seen 311 more than 20 times, as they are my favorite band. They NEVER have any technical issues at their shows. Despite that, they were the ONLY band at this show that had problems, which was a weird buzzing feedback-y sound that marred some of the songs. They opened with Beautiful Disaster and played a set that I almost predicted with total accuracy (superfan? 311 nerd? Yup), throwing in the hits All Mixed Up, Down, Flowing, and recent single Hey You, a song I wish they never wrote with some other tunes from their new record Uplifter; they also played concert staple Applied Science, complete with its full-band drum solo. All told, it was another great show by the band, but the mysterious technical issues were a bit frustrating and out of character.

in 311, everybody's a drummer!

Muse – OMG YES THE BAND WE WERE ALL HERE TO SEE! Or at least it sounded like that when they emerged amid thunderous applause and screaming to slam into Uprising, the single from their new album The Resistance. They played for roughly an hour, touching on the big hits Supermassive Black Hole, Hysteria, Time is Running Out, and Knights of Cydonia, which ended the set, but they skipped over New Born (one of my favs) and Feeling Good in favor of a handful of Resistance tracks like United States of Eurasia, Guiding Light, Resistance, and Unnatural Selection.

Muse and Matt Bellamy's ever-present passion face

I wasn’t surprised by this, as it was a radio show and they have a new album to push, but it was still a bit of a let down. Matt Bellamy’s guitar was all glittery and red, though, and he wore shiny pink pants, so that made up for it. They also sounded incredible, as Bellamy is able to replicate the soaring operatic vocals from the studio recordings to the live setting impeccably. Their performance was masterful, if a bit heavy on Resistance songs. I hope their Coachella set has more old stuff thrown in too.

Muse

In all, KROQ Acoustic Christmas Day 2 was great. The band selection was a bit strange in there was absolutely no cohesion to the lineup; it started out all indie pop then threw in some surf reggae, and the result was a bit scattered and all over the place. Still, I enjoyed most of the performances, and it was evident that the crowd did as well (or at least they did once Muse hit the stage). KROQ knows how to put on good shows, and pick a great venue for their annual holiday fest. I just wish they would have fixed the technical issues that messed up 311’s set, but that’s just me talking as a fanboy.

And to all, a good night.

I went to the Black Crowes’ show at Club Nokia Saturday night as someone who mainly just knows the hits. You know, Hard to Handle, She Talks to Angels, Remedy, and Jealous Again. In preparation for the show, I did listen to the albums Lions, Warpaint and 2008’s Before the Frost…Until the Freeze so I’d hopefully have some kind of idea what I’d hear at the show. Well, out of a two hour, sixteen-song set, I only knew maybe five or six of the songs, but I expected that. Despite never seeing them live, I’d always heard they don’t play the hits every show, instead choosing more obscure songs to jam out throughout the course of a full set. Out of their most well-known songs, they only played Jealous Again, leaving the other hits off the set list. That did not bother me too much, though.

Some band called Truth & Salvage Company opened the show, with a pretty typical Southern blues-rock sound, and a keyboardist/part-time vocalist who either looked like Neil Young or did a good job trying to look like Neil Young. The band wasn’t bad, per se, but the songs tended to drag on a bit and after a couple minutes I’d somehow know the words, probably because they were pretty repetitive. They were a fitting opener for the show, however, and the crowd seemed to dig them.

Everybody at the show looked like older variations of this

That was a part of the evening that amused me – the crowd. Made up almost entirely of dudes who looked like Danny Masterson’s character Hyde from That 70s Show and older rock chicks who danced near those mustached and/or sideburned guys, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed both bands. There was a guy next to me at the show who wore a blazing white suit coat thing with sequined shiny red roses on it. I was humbled by his presence. The Mustache Men enjoyed breaking into frantic air guitar jams from time to time, which was also fun.

I enjoyed the lack of hipsters at this show – most shows I go to in LA are plagued with v-necks, scarves (even though concerts are usually warm and indoors), and other such nonsense, but thankfully the crowd at Club Nokia was mostly older and more oriented to rock & roll shows. I also saw more than a few people in Them Crooked Vultures shirts, probably purchased at either of the shows two weeks ago that I was too lame to attend.

As for the show itself: Despite not knowing many of the songs Chris Robinson and Friends played, I was pretty damn impressed with the performance. The Black Crowes, despite having a really fast turnover for band members not named Robinson, have always had a reputation for being great live. Every time they’d visit the Fillmore in San Francisco when I was growing up, the band would play three or four sold-out shows, so I always figured they were great in concert.

To my surprise, there was a stretch in the set list made up of songs I actually knew: Whoa Mule, Appaloosa, Ozone Mama (which had a fantastic jam in the middle that went on for about six minutes or so), and I Ain’t Hiding, a great song from the new album that is a departure from the typical Black Crowes sound, as it is more funky and rhythm-driven than they usually are. After that stretch they played My Morning Song, which I didn’t know but the crowd loved; it also had a great jam that went on for a while too. It was a solid group of songs sandwiched in the middle of the set.

I want this shirt more than the sequined red rose suit

The musicians in the Black Crowes really know their stuff (obviously). Despite Chris Robinson arguably being the focal point of the band, the musicians give the songs a vibrant sense of life and passion that his rather unique vocal style matches very effectively. The band ended the show with a rollicking rendition of Traffic’s Feelin Alright, which of course went on for a long time as the guitarists traded off solos and the energy level skyrocketed, eventually resulting in an explosive finish that had all the Mustache Men dancing (and spilling their nine dollar beers or fourteen dollar cocktails).

I thoroughly enjoyed the show, even though as the most casual Black Crowes fan I could have been ‘disappointed’ about the lack of hits. Since I expected to only hear one or two of the hits, I was not upset about it.

After going to this show, it is clear to me why the Black Crowes have always had this reputation as a great live band: they absolutely kill it. Chris Robinson puts a lot into his performance, says “y’all” a lot between songs, and dances around when the band rips into one of their many guitar solos and jams. The end result was a lot of fun, even though they barely touched any of their hits.

The Set List

Here’s a video of Jealous Again from the show.

Attending the Snoop Dogg concert in the hot-boxed Club Nokia is experience enough to die content…or complete…or at least with a unique feeling that my mind and body had yet to indulge in at any rock concert I ever attended.   Well, with the exception of the opening act Vixzens who, bless their amateur hearts, performed for their first time that night..so amateur in fact, that laughter added as a background beat to the gibberish they spewed into the mics.

Nipsey Hussle accompanied by a full band with a horn section and a white guy in reading glasses literally lit the stage and every blunt in the arena.  Having never heard them before, I came to appreciate the marriage between trombone and rap.   Dj Quik followed, and after whipping out Lets Get Down, everyone did just that, quickly jump starting the old school parade that shuffled out with the D-O-double-G.

Dj Quik opening for Snoop

Snoop, laid back in his handkerchief-style onesie and backed by a multi-ethnic group of booty droppers, c-walked his way through a two-hour plus set of old and new school goodness.  Joined by Kurupt and a massive on-stage posse (Bishop Don Magic Juan included) and an audience up in smoke, we all rapped every word to his plethora of hits such as Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang, Gin and Juice, Who Am I (Whats My Name), Blow the Whistle, and Drop it Like it’s Hot.

Snoop, his diamond encrusted mic, and onesie

The night truly threw me straight to the early 90s, not just with the songs but with the cameos of such legends like Xzibit, Lady of Rage, Too $hort and Nate Dogg’s cousin, Butch Cassidy (if you can’t get the real thing, why not bring in the cuz?!). A very relaxed Snoop simply bobbed about in the background while they took the stage one after another.  At one point, a Tupac tribute encouraged a dance of lighters, a chant by the audience, “We all miss Tupac” (or something of the sort, my memory has been fogged of such details) and a rendition of America’s Most Wanted.

Although Snoop Dogg may not be a quintessential gangsta anymore, I respect him as one. Who else can pull off a onesie at his age while bringing the West as one under a single cloudy roof? The boisterous and eclectic mix of a crowd emphasized that his journey is far from over.  And although he no longer regulates in the LBC, he does grab girls by the butt, an action that in his new song Gangsta Luv, self proclaims him as a gangsta…still.  If he is too old and rich to regulate, than why not redefine the meaning?

Gangsta Luv on the West Coast

I didn’t know what to expect from my first Snoop Dogg concert, and quite frankly I still feel a bit speechless (and lightheaded just thinking about it) regarding the experience.  And after much thought, I know that if I don’t die content, Snoop and friends would at least hope that I die high.  Perhaps that’s what that different/new feeling was: the contact high hangover that slammed me in the face the next morning.

Despite the fact that my favorite bands include Led Zeppelin, Radiohead and Muse there is something about Jason Mraz that really tickles my soul.  He carries with him an impeccably poignant voice, diverse range and lyrics with a message that can change a life.   Coupled with this live show, he might’ve done just that.

After arriving at the outdoor Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, I purchased a beer that cost more than my $1 seat and indulged in Brett Dennan who, like Mraz, shares the same approachable vibe, basing his songs on social justice, spirituality and embracing love to enhance your life.

When Mraz came to the stage he explained the inspiration for The Gratitude Tour and how it derived from The Gratitude Café in San Francisco, where patrons pay what they can afford, allowing all to partake in the café experience.  He expressed that each show would do the same, permitting fans to participate in not just a concert but a bonding soiree of sorts, getting to know each other and enjoying the music not just as fans, but as friends.   At first, more concerned with the level of my beer, I simply sipped away and listened.

As the concert progressed, he performed songs including What Would Love Do, a play off of “What Would Jesus Do” inviting the boisterous Voices of Praise choir to join him, fully captivating the audience with their collective strength and passion.  For his recent single, I’m Yours he taught the audience choreography; every individual shimmying in unison all suddenly became one.

New friends quickly formed and my beer became a side thought…

“For this next song, I want you to turn to someone you don’t know and sing to him or her,” he persuaded.  The crowd did just that, swaying not to the beat of the song but to the eye contact and formed camaraderie, knowing we all migrated here because he invited us.  It undoubtedly felt like that…like he wanted us there to embrace life and love.  This sounds contrived and corny, yes, but I had never before been to a concert so interactive and moving.

I left with butterflies in my stomach and a crack in my heart knowing that I had just witnessed a unique experience that could not be repeated.  I felt connected with humanity and the deep sense that love and music can greatly lift a spirit.  And for the first time, I noticed that the night passed with a beer almost unscathed and ignored. A rarity.  I think Jason would be proud of the mission he had accomplished.

Yes, I call him Jason now; after that show I know we are on a first name basis.

You may remember a couple weeks ago, the interview I did with lead guitarist Zach Filkins of OneRepublic. You probably remember them from their hit song Apologize from their debut album, Dreaming Out Loud. Currently, Zach and crew are on tour with Matchbox 20 singer-gone-solo, Rob Thomas. Before his single that he did with Carlos Santana; Smooth, I had never rally followed the solo career of the man.

But before I get to the main dish, let’s talk about the appetizer. The opening was band known as Carolina Liar; a group that I had never heard of, but quickly learned to like. Stage swagger mixed with talent mixed with the amazing acoustics and sound system of the Gibson Amphitheater.

I had never heard of them before, but like the name suggests, the band is actually from South Carolina. Truth be told, only one member is actually from Carolina though, with the rest of its members originating from Sweden…so I guess the name fits. And as for sound, the band is exactly what I figured something from Carolina would sound like. Clad in a great southern getup, the band sounded like a fun, pop country meets alt rock. They played a short set before OneRepublic took the stage.

Now’s where the real fun began. Apparently someone dropped the ball on getting us the full scoop on the press passes and photo pass. What they REALLY meant, was that Mama Blanco and I would get random tickets (albeit great seats anyway), and HALF the photo pass. The manager for the venue didn’t want me to shoot, and claimed I wasn’t on her list, but eventually let me in. She even told me that I probably wasn’t going to get to shoot OneRepublic (whom I was there to shoot), because she had to take her sweet time to get the paperwork for me to shoot. And yes, I realize she could have gotten them later, but breaking my balls is in season as of late.

After missing the first song (of the three we are allowed to shoot) I finally got to get into the action for some amazing photos. Lead singer Ryan Tedder was all over the place, singing his heart out. And say what you want about the Kelly Clarkson/Beyonce drama over whose pop song sounds like the other, but this boy can sing his heart out. He had some of the most soulful chords I’ve heard in quite some time.

I also got up close with Zach Filkins to snap him shredding the place to pieces. After the first three songs it was time to head back up to my seat. Of course I had to check my camera in, but I swiftly went back and got my camera, as I’m more than there to “take pictures and leave”. Besides, the stage manager was so rude, why not stick it to them. This is Behind the Hype, and that’s just what we do. Hell, my creds even said Rob Thomas on it, so who was going to say anything?

Anywho, OneRepublic killed it with their new hit All the Right Moves from their upcoming album Waking Up. Since I heard the Timbaland version of Apologize, I’ve been a fan of the band, but seeing them live took it to a new level of respect and appreciation. Plus, with Timbaland working with them, I’m more than confident I’ll be blown away on the new album’s November 17^th release date.

The main act took the stage after a short intermission, and the crowd lit up with roars that made it impossible not to feel the energy and smile. I don’t know any Rob Thomas songs, but I wish I did, because the man and his band were incredible live. I sometimes worry about going to a show were I don’t know anything about who I’m seeing, especially on a big stage. But this was the kind of music where you will be made a fan by night’s end.

Thomas even took breaks in between songs to explain them, and tell background stories in his life. Turns out he’s really funny, and even dropped a few curse words here and there. He played an array of songs, spanning his two solo album’s complete with a broken down, two part version of Smooth. I heard rumors that Santana appeared to play the song at previous shows, but alas, we were not so lucky.

The night went off without a major hitch, and Mama Blanco and I had a smash of a time grooving to the tunes of the evening. Big up to Chad at Total Assault for getting me set up on this venture, and I can’t wait for the next one!

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to call button down dress shirts sexy, but rest assured, Emily Belgard, lead singer of kick ass rock band Prohibition Rose brought us back to what we’ve all been missing.

The band invited me out for a Monday romp at the Key Club, to open for the longest lived Sunset act in history, Steel Panther (aka Metal Skool). Before the panther took the stage, Emily and her band came out and blew the hats off the front row.

The ladies with their boyfriends were instantly jealous as Emily dropped it like it’s hot several times during the set. But don’t let the aesthetics fool you, she a grade A singer, being backed by Eric Lenning on lead guitar and backup vocals.

Eric reminded me of Tyson Ritter of the All American Rejects, but with a less pop image, and more respect on my books. To his left, was the lovely short shorts wearing blonde bombshell, Mia Heldt. Speaking of comparisons, I told her after the set that she reminded me of a blond Paz Lenchantin; apple of my eye, and bassist of A Perfect Circle. Watch the video for the song Judith and you’ll get the idea of what I had the honor of witnessing.

Andy Bonura and Tanner Bean killed it on the drums and guitar, kicking the set off with Come Out Racin’ of their upcoming album, …To the Wolves. The whole set was raw rock, with a refreshing and sexy twist offered to Valhalla by Emily at the helm. Personally my favorite tracks of the night were Slippery Slope for the drums during the chorus and Bag Full of Sparrows for its slow tempo, and powerful chorus tones. Here’s the complete set list for your viewing pleasure:

1) Come out Racin’
2) Slippery Slope
3) Bag Full of Sparrows
4) Vertigo
5) Stocking Stuffer
6) More
7) Retrograde

Prohibition Rose is not to be trifled with, and seeing as they were a perfect pairing to Steel Panther. The night carried on, with Petty Cash playing downstairs, bringing up Deryck Whibley of Sum 41 up to party with them. After a great sing-along set of Tom Petty songs we all made our way up to enjoy Steel Panther perform their usual amazing antics, complete with a performance of Death to All But Metal.

I’ve seen the song performed before, but that night was even better than normal, with Chris Mintz-Plasse… but let’s be real and call him McLovin, the name we all know him by. Joining him onstage for a duet was The Iceman himself, Chuck Lidell.

Mix in the flashing of ridiculously large breasts from the VIP section after some encouraging chanting from all around, and three to one better hair on guys than girls, and you have a night in Hollywood. Thanks to Prohibition Rose for bringing me out to have a good time, and giving us something new to behold (in oh so many ways). No new shows are posted yet, but check out their MySpace for a good chunk of their new album.

Until next time my friends,

~Flak

The main question on my mind as I watch Tearist open for La Roux is: Which one of these band members sucked the cock and/or pussy of the person in charge of booking at the El Rey? How does a band with under 11,000 MySpace views on the day of the show end up landing this type of gig? Not to say this isn’t indicative of a talent all its own, but shit, are they going to start letting any band within ten miles of Silverlake that has a MySpace page go on? At that point, every venue in the city will be overrun with white guys in glasses, ill-fitting pants, and a sweatshirt clearly bought from Goodwill.

La Roux previously performed one date at The Troubadour

Apart from Tearist, there was La Roux, who was ever so languid about taking the stage. I smoked half a pack of Camels, waited in a bathroom line that moved at the speed of Lonesome George (the famously celibate turtle), and bought several obscenely priced drinks in the time it took Miss Jackson (La Roux’s Christian name) to appear. Before she went on, it was explained that an ongoing illness/sore throat would cut the set a bit short. And so, with that sobering news, La Roux erupted onto the stage with a sky high tidal wave of red hair belting out “Quicksand.” Immediately after the song, she apologized for her voice and then wasted no time delving into the latest single from her self-titled album, “I’m Not Your Toy.”

The surrealistic cover of La Roux's debut album

After performing a single only available in the UK and probably some Japanese version of the album (“Finally My Saviour”) and a slow jam called “Cover My Eyes,” La Roux introduced her band: Mikey on synths/keyboards, Mickey on backing vocals/keyboard, and William on drums. She then encouraged the crowd to help her sing along to the ever so successful (in the UK anyway) “In for the Kill.” The audience quickly obliged, some even (premeditatedly of course) jumping on stage to dance with the ailing Brit. Before the closing song, La Roux danced about to “Colourless Colour” and then closed up shop with “Bulletproof,” which she assured was the equivalent of two songs because of its extendedness. So long it was in fact, that there was even time for La Roux to bring a child on stage strategically dressed by the girl’s mother to garner such attention. Need I say this kid’s just one step away from being the next balloon hoax? The show concluded more quickly than it began and although La Roux delivered a worthy performance, I still say: Next time, take a fuckin B12 shot and heal your damn self. Oh well, it’s not as though that many people were disappointed. It still seems that the only ones aware of La Roux in the LA area are chic people and lesbians (two qualities that are sometimes indecipherable).

I’ve always liked The Streets. Back in 2004, their set at Live 105’s summer concert in the Bay Area was my highlight of the day. I hadn’t seen them since that show, so I was excited see Mike Skinner and his crew this past Thursday night at Club Nokia. For the most part, the show was a success, but the smaller-than-anticipated crowd size and some technical issues created a few problems. First off, Mike came out onstage and seemed to be in a bad mood. He kept saying things like “everyone spread out, there’s plenty of room”, since it wasn’t close to a capacity crowd. He then kept messing with his earpiece and going to the side of the stage and discussing some sound issue he had with his monitor or whatever. To my ears it didn’t sound particularly bad, but Skinner definitely had issues with something.

His less-than-chipper demeanor didn’t take away from the songs, as he still put a lot into the performance. This contrasted to the time I saw Lily Allen at the Fillmore in San Francisco and she held a red cup in her hand the entire set, taking sips every few minutes. She was positively “knackered” or “tossed” or some such British term, forgetting lyrics and basically making a big mess onstage.

I recognized most of the songs the Streets played, but there were some with which I was not familiar. The crowd seemed to enjoy the whole set, despite Skinner’s state and how he kept complaining about the sound. The crowd might not have been really big, but it was a lively one (at least up in front on the floor).

Skinner and his crew went through most of their most notable songs, such as the set opener Let’s Push Things Forward. I wasn’t familiar with a few songs in the set, which is odd considering I have all of the Streets’ albums. I don’t know where the other songs came from, but I didn’t recognize them. I was glad to see them play a bunch of songs from Original Pirate Material, including Let’s Push Things Forward, Turn the Page, Has it Come to This?, Turn the Page, Don’t Mug Yourself, and Weak Become Heroes. I’d have liked to hear The Irony of it All, but oh well.

One thing I didn’t like about the Streets’ set was how Skinner pulled onstage a sound technician and basically embarrassed her by complaining about the sound quality and telling the crowd that she was responsible (or something like that). I don’t have a problem with him being upset over some sound problems but it’s not cool to do that to some random worker trying to do her job. It wasn’t very nice, but whatever.

That aside, the show was entertaining overall. The Streets’ backing band, made up of a bassist, drummer, keyboard player, and samples/acoustic guitar guy were competent, albeit not as flamboyant and jam-happy as Lily Allen’s backing band is. The show just had this overall air of impatience, probably caused by Skinner being upset about the sound. At the end of the set he actually said “the first half of this set was probably the worst we’ve played in years, so if anyone here wants to get half their money refunded you can do that”, which was really cool to hear, even if we in the pit couldn’t really tell there were sound issues. He followed up on that request via his Twitter page as well, so he must have meant business when he said that. I wonder if anyone took him up on that offer.

In closing, the Street’s concert at Club Nokia wasn’t perfect by any means – Skinner complaining about the sound, the significantly undersold theater, punting a water bottle across the stage and shorting out a laptop computer, and so on. It was erratic, but still a good show, despite the issues.

I like unique British musicians, and Mike Skinner is definitely that. He made most of the beats for his records in his room back in the day (and presumably does now), and he creates some really cool offbeat hip hop music with a creative vision and sense of storytelling. Original Pirate Material is a visionary record, something that caught me (and many other people) off guard when it was released, and each record after that has continued that trend. Skinner has a gift for creating music, that much is certain.

I was glad I went to this show, as I had really wanted to see the Streets live again after that last time five years ago. Despite the fact that they probably should have booked a smaller venue than Club Nokia, I and the other people in the crowd had fun, and I hope the band did as well.

I hope the next time the Streets plays in LA it will run a little bit smoother than this time. It was still a good show overall, though.

MUTEMATH’s show at Club Nokia on Saturday night was really something to see. The band’s newest album Armistice is one of my favorite albums of this past year, and their set Saturday night was comprised of many of that disc’s tunes.

Opening the show was As Tall as Lions, who I saw play with RX Bandits and Dredg at the El Rey back in late August. They were great at that show, but they were even better this time around. The band creates a cacophony of beautiful sounds onstage, with the aid of some horns and a solid rhythm section. The Long Island band played about half an hour, and was a perfect choice to play before MUTEMATH, another band that employs pounding beats and lush melodies. Dan Nigro was impressive with his amazing voice as the singer of As Tall as Lions, and the crowd was generally really receptive to the band. If they’re ever around your area and you like great mellow melodic music, check them out. I’m glad I got to see them again.

As Tall as Lions

MUTEMATH, though, was even better. The backdrop for their stage setup was the circular thing that is on the cover of Armistice, and it kinda looked like the time warp portal from Stargate, which amused me. The band emerged onstage and immediately went into Nerve, the lead track on Armistice, which segued into Backfire. This was my second time seeing MUTEMATH, but the first since actually knowing about them and being familiar with their music. The setlist was a nice mix of Armistice material and some tracks from their self-titled debut record. Frontman Paul Meany has an engaging stage persona, bobbing around and doing funky little dances with his keytar. He is reminiscent a little bit of Adam Levine of Maroon 5, without being nearly as annoying as Levine or Maroon 5.

Drummer Darren King is a machine at the kit, banging away with tremendous precision to the syncopated beats and rhythms of the band’s songs. He’s really the most impressive part of MUTEMATH and their live show. When I first heard Armistice I was struck by the power and presence of his drumming, and it was even more impressive Saturday night. During the song No Response King stood up and hit these white circle things along with the beat that shot cool white neon lights around the stage. It looked pretty Daft Punk-ish, and was a sick visual to add to the song. Moments like this made me remember how MUTEMATH is on a major label, and thus have enough clout and, well, money to do cool stuff like this.

MUTEMATH

Stare at the Sun had a sweet jam session about midway through the song, in which guitarist Greg Hill swapped his guitar for some percussion instruments for a bit. What resulted was a hypnotic, soothing instrumental break that went on for a while but never got stale. It was pretty mesmerizing.

Toward the end of the set the band tore into Typical, the hit off of the self-titled album. Meany began the song standing on top of his piano, and encouraged the crowd to sing along during the chorus. It was a great performance of the song.

I didn’t stick around long enough to see the band play Spotlight, the first single from Armistice, as I had a prior engagement that required me to bail before the encore (it’s tough being so cool and double-booking myself, but it happens). The songs I did see MUTEMATH play, though, were a great variety of new and old songs set to please both fans and non-fans.

MUTEMATH

MUTEMATH’s show at Club Nokia made me like them even more than I already did. Armistice has been one of my favorite records of the past few months, and seeing the songs performed live was an added bonus. Meany, King, Hill, and bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas have a great chemistry onstage, and each fill out their role in the band with precision and finesse. Just as how in the studio MUTEMATH is not content to be one-dimensional or predictable, their live show takes on a sense of creativity and innovation that sets the band apart from their peers. The off-beat percussive solos by King, the keytar wailing by Meany, and in general how the musicians feed off of one another and create wavelengths of sound that reverberate through a crowded theater is something to behold.

I hope their next album is somehow nearly as good as Armistice, and I look forward to seeing MUTEMATH in concert again.

Here are some videos I shot at the show, for your enjoyment.

No Response

Typical

Backfire

Clipping