Sunday 27 November 2011

Review - The Throne (Jay Z & Kanye West) (Auburn Hills, MI)

The Throne (Jay Z & Kanye West)
Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, MI
Saturday, November 26, 2011



Wowwww! After securing tickets for the Toronto show on Wednesday we knew it was important to locate floors for a neighbouring city since this tour is something special (check). Despite being an extremely similar show to that in the city earlier this week, there were four main differences and they all happen to be located in the end of the setlist. Plus, the fact we upgraded from the upper bowl to just feet away from the stars.

Opening up the show on each end of the arena with "H.A.M." (Kanye on a cube near the mainstage, Jay deeper in the crowd on his own platform) and continuing along with Watch the Throne hits "Who Gon Stop Me", "Otis", and "Welcome to the Jungle", the dynamic duo set the Palace on fire with this highly energetic barrage of crowd pleasers. The show was scheduled to begin at 7:30 (ha) but they came on at about 9:15 and played until it was just about Sunday. Plowing through all of the hits we have grown to love by each artist they certainly sent everybody home happy on this evening.

One observation among us is that this tour seems a bit Kanye-centric, perhaps once you break it down his tracks extend longer than Jay's did, or the latter is more engaging so they are possibly flying by. Upon checking the setlist again, turns out it is a completely even split--Combined: 18, Each: 12.

Certainly recommend this tour, if you can locate tickets still. I wouldn't expect a whole lot different from one city to the next (perhaps Chicago on Wednesday or Thursday), but they have definitely constructed this show in a well thought-out manner so that everybody goes home happy (check).

And what about that finale?! Just be sure to show some love when it looks like they might be leaving for the night. Although it's irrational, we only got "...Paris" three times on Wednesday, and it looked like it could be going a similar route in the Palace as the crowd started to file out after only two. At this point they whipped into the third round which ended with Jay calling out those who had decided to leave, and upon taking complete control over those who remained the pair delivered a fourth round of the hit track. Then a fifth. Then a tour-tying sixth... and just when they were showing signs of exiting and complete exhaustion, we got number seven. SEVEN!! They played "N*ggas in Paris" seven times. SEVEN! That shit cray! 1/6 of the setlist was devoted to it, wow! One of those things you just have to experience to grasp the ridiculously fun nature of.

Setlist:
(Throne Music)
H.A.M.
Who Gon Stop Me
Otis
Gotta Have It

Where I'm From
Nigga What? Nigga Who?

Can't Tell Me Nothing
Flashing Lights
All Falls Down
Jesus Walks

Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)
Public Service Announcement
U Don't Know
Run This Town
Monster

Power (Remix)

Made in America
New Day
Hard Knock Life

Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
(New York, New York)
Empire State of Mind

Runaway
Heartless
Stronger

(D.A.N.C.E.)
On To The Next One
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)

That's My Bitch

Good Life
Touch the Sky
All of the Lights

Big Pimpin'
Gold Digger
99 Problems
(What A Wonderful World)
No Church in the Wild
(Lift Off)
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris

Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris

Album Breakdown:
Watch the Throne: 15
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 4
Graduation: 4
The Black Album: 3
The Blueprint 3: 3
Late Registration: 3
The Blueprint: 2
The College Dropout: 2
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life: 2
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia: 1
808's and Heartbreak: 1
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1: 1
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter: 1

Thursday 24 November 2011

Review - The Throne (Jay Z & Kanye West) (Toronto, ON)

The Throne (Jay Z & Kanye West)
Air Canada Centre
Toronto, ON
Wednesday, November 23, 2011


Brief review here: that shit cray.

Jay Z has built a reputation as a solid live performer and Kanye continues to take his game to another level. Show kicked off with tracks from their collaborative album (Watch the Throne), switched back and forth between solo sets and joint tracks, and so on.

The show was very simple (no guests) yet at the same time contained the right amount of excess (playing "N*ggas in Paris" three times, less than Montreal the night before). Starting off on giant cubes that rose from each end of the arena to perform their 2011 single "H.A.M." they set the tone for the evening, which led into more tracks from the album and eventually breaking off into a series of solo sets as well. They would perform from the main stage at the ACC as well as return to their own individual spots for memorable mini-sets featuring the likes of "Runaway", "Stronger", and "On To The Next One". Overall, solid use of the venue and they made sure everybody in the arena had a good view at least a couple times.

You either like Kanye or you don't, so that may turn people off, but for somebody such as myself who is a fan, this show was awesome. Jay seems less polarizing as the setlist dipped into quite a bit of his catalogue and reminded alot of us of just how many recognizable tracks he has. One moment before "All of the Lights" where Kanye restarted the song twice in order to make sure all of the lights were on seemed like it might have been planned, or was it? This one could definitely feed into the haters, but those same haters seem to fuel Kanye's music these days so perhaps he's doing it intentionally now.

Someday I may revisit this review and go into greater detail, but I'll leave it brief and summarize by saying it was both very simple and over the top (weird, right?). The show is/was expensive but for big fans of either artist (or both) it is catered directly to you and was worth it.

Possibly the biggest shock of the night: Drake did not appear on stage.

Here's the beast of a setlist...

Setlist:
(Throne Music)
H.A.M.
Who Gon Stop Me
Otis
Gotta Have It

Where I'm From
Nigga What? Nigga Who?

Can't Tell Me Nothing
Flashing Lights
All Falls Down
Jesus Walks

Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix)
Public Service Announcement
U Don't Know
Run This Town
Monster

Power (Remix)

Made in America
New Day
Hard Knock Life

Izzo (H.O.V.A.)
(New York, New York)
Empire State of Mind

Runaway
Heartless
Stronger

(D.A.N.C.E.)
On To The Next One
Dirt Off Your Shoulder
I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)

That's My Bitch

Good Life
Touch the Sky
All of the Lights

Big Pimpin'
Gold Digger
99 Problems
(What A Wonderful World)
No Church in the Wild
(Lift Off)
Niggas In Paris
Niggas In Paris

Niggas In Paris
Encore

Album Breakdown:
Watch the Throne: 11
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 4
The Black Album: 4
Graduation: 4
The Blueprint 3: 3
Late Registration: 3
The Blueprint: 2
The College Dropout: 2
Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life: 2
The Dynasty: Roc La Familia: 1
808's and Heartbreak: 1
In My Lifetime, Vol. 1: 1
Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter: 1

Author Edit: "...Paris" got played 5 times on night two (November 24th); otherwise the setlist was identical.

Thursday 29 September 2011

Review - Foo Fighters (Buffalo, NY)

Foo Fighters w/ Rise Against, Mariachi El Bronx
First Niagara Center
Buffalo, NY
Sunday, September 25, 2011



As the Lollapalooza weekend solidifed for me, the Foo Fighters are one of my favourite bands and I am fully aware they are easy to dislike. Now that that's out of the way, round 3 for this year took place at the former HSBC Arena in Buffalo since I chose to spread out the intake of Grohl.

I'll try to keep this one brief but the setlist was fairly similar to Lolla, with All My Life back in there and no rain during My Hero, which on this night I was perfectly fine with. The guys are a fully solidified arena rock band now and you should just know what to expect from it; they'll play all of the hits, all of the songs you know even if you don't admit to liking the band, and they'll play for close to 3 hours with bursts of Dave Grohl being a goof. Taylor Hawkins on drums is usually second in command as far as animated characters on stage go, but thanks to some interactions with the crowd it was Nate and Pat who got to shine ever so slightly. During a break Dave was talking to the front row and spotted a sign that said "NATE IS A WIZARD", also pointing out a poster that simply said "THIS IS PAT'S SIGN". Good stuff.

Oh yeah, the show. Lots of high energy (as per usual), good selection of tracks from their library but with not many from the self-titled, and a very special guest on this evening: Krist Novoselic... y'know, the bassist from Nirvana! He showed up to play accordion for Skin and Bones and These Days; oddly enough they omitted I Should Have Known which Krist plays bass on, just feels like a missed opportunity. Rounding out the surprises was a cover of Pink Floyd's In The Flesh (likely in prep for the band playing with Roger Waters this past week), Breakdown by Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, as well as a whopping SEVEN song encore! Not bad, not bad at all!

Despite the amount of jams they insert into songs instead of breaking out a few more fan favourites, the Foo Fighters are a force and I would strongly recommend seeing them in person while you can (Dave can't scream that loud for that much longer, could he?). Even if you get a "lousy" seat the band typically comes to you, as was the case on this night (and in Toronto in 2008) since the stage had an aisle way where for certain tracks the group (primarily Dave) would go to the opposite end of the building and give those in the cheap seats a closer few... how considerate.

Opening up was Mariachi El Bronx who I didn't really see much of (oddly intriguing) and radio favourites Rise Against, who have certainly improved as a live band since the last time I saw them in 2007 (open for Billy Talent). Lead singer Tim McIlrath interacted plenty with the crowd and just looks more comfortable up there. The set included a bunch of songs which all sounded very familiar and their performance was good for what it was; I didn't have high expectations. The one song of theirs I do remember enjoying (Prayer of the Refugee) seemed to be sped up, or perhaps I've outgrown it. Oh well.


Setlist (Foo Fighters):
Bridge Burning
Rope
The Pretender
My Hero
Learn to Fly
White Limo
Arlandria
Breakout
Cold Day in the Sun
Stacked Actors
Walk
Monkey Wrench
Let It Die
These Days
Skin and Bones (feat. Krist Novoselic)
This is a Call
In the Flesh (Pink Floyd)
All My Life

Long Road to Ruin (Dave solo, acoustic)
Best of You (Dave solo, acoustic)
Times Like These
Dear Rosemary
Breakdown (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)
Everlong

Album Breakdown (Foo Fighters):
Wasting Light: 7
There's Nothing Left to Lose: 3
The Colour & The Shape: 3
Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace: 3
In Your Honour: 2
One by One: 2
Covers: 2
B-Side: 1
Foo Fighters: 1

Setlist (Rise Against):
Re-Education (Through Labor)
The Good Left Undone
Satellite
Audience of One
Ready to Fall
Make It Stop (September's Children)
Help Is on the Way
Prayer of the Refugee
Give It All
Savior

Album Breakdown (Rise Against):
Appeal to Reason: 3
Endgame: 3
The Sufferer & the Witness: 3
Siren Song of the Counter Culture: 1

Review - Japandroids (Toronto, ON)

Japandroids w/ Metz
Sneaky Dee's
Toronto, ON
Thursday, September 22, 2011


Vancouver rockers Japandroids returned for a high-energy affair featuring tracks from their breakout debut Post-Nothing, as well as some welcome new songs from their upcoming release, with some other singles sprinkled in between. Plus a cover of Gun Club's For the Love of Ivy to wrap up the evening.

That's essentially how lead singer Brian King introduced the two-piece band (David Prowse on drums) to the audience, suggesting that the night would begin with some newer material and then they would get to the older stuff. Overall, happy to say this show was quite satisfying to this casual fan. Plenty of the songs were recognizable, in particular Wet Hair, The Boys Are Leaving Town, Rockers East Vancouver, and Young Hearts Spark Fire, all due to their ability to make an impression and stick out after only a handful of listens.

The originally scheduled opener Bass Drum of Death was unable to attend (border issues), so we got Metz who brought a high energy set that seemed to receive a mixed reaction from the audience. Unfortunately at this point I was towards the back and didn't really soak up this set, but it was definitely loud.

For sure I would recommend Japandroids.

Setlist:
Adrenaline Nightshift
Younger Us
Fire's Highway
The Boys Are Leaving Town
Rockers East Vancouver
Art Czars
Evil's Sway
Wet Hair
Sovereignty
Young Hearts Spark Fire
For the Love of Ivy (Gun Club)

Album Breakdown:
Post-Nothing: 5
Miscellaneous: 2
Untitled New Album: 3
Covers: 1

Thursday 1 September 2011

Review - Foo Fighters (Chicago, IL)

Foo Fighters w/ The Joy Formidable
Metro
Chicago, IL
Saturday, August 6, 2011



Although Lollapalooza weekend was almost a month ago, I had to write about this show. The festival weekend was Thursday to Monday with the festival contained within there which is usually enough, but as I packed Wednesday night the Foo Fighters delivered the tease via Facebook and the next morning at 10am simply asked, "Got any ideas of fun shit we could do on Saturday night?". At 11am tickets went on sale and sold out just as quickly, but through some stroke of luck (and with the assistance of a friend) I acquired tickets and was off to this gig. The festival enough was sufficient for my weekend, but being able to see one of my favourite bands in a small club (1,100 capacity) is pretty much a dream come true, especially at this stage of the game.

The festival up until Saturday at 9:45pm delivered quite a few solid sets and some disappointments but the best part of the weekend was about to take place once I took off from Eminem's headlining set. He finished at 10pm and the Foos hit the stage uptown at 11pm and they took priority.


Unfortunately, some incorrect planning landed me a couple of minutes late for the show but the second I got to the back of the club I was blown away by how close my vantage point was as the band finished up "Bridges Burning". Jumping into "Rope" from the new album Wasting Light and then "Dear Rosemary" it was evident that they were going through it in sequence as they did earlier this year before its release. As it turns out (thanks YouTube!) Dave told the crowd at the beginning that they would be playing the whole new album, which worked out great because it ensured that some songs which may not be on the Lollapalooza setlist would certainly get played on this night. Continuing along the guys rocked with their heaviest track in years, "White Limo" while progressing through the album, including sing-alongs "Arlandria" and "Back & Forth". One benefit of the live setting is it allows tracks to explode and take on a new life which is exactly what happened for me. Coming in I was a fairly long-time Foo Fighters fan, but not overly crazy about the new album as it settled in with me. Their style of music has been criticized for being too generic but it's fun and they have been one of my favourite bands for years, more on that later. They're a great fucking rock band, who am I kidding. Even the Bon Jovi-sounding "Miss the Misery" sounded great.

Moving on, they knocked down the tracklist and after finishing up the middle portion of the album it was time for the heartbreaking "I Should Have Known", which I don't expect to see on too many setlists going forward, so this was a nice treat to see in person (not that it's happy, but for rarity-sake). Concluding the Wastling Light portion of the night was recent single and closing track "Walk" which much like the others is an uplifting, catchy Foos track that meets the formula, but it's the formula that everybody in the Metro has come to love. This song is going to be a staple in the future and deservingly so.

Now that the new album was wrapped up it was time for the relatively older tracks, kicking off with the thunderous one-two punch of "All My Life" and "My Hero" that inspired more sing alongs and energy from the fortunate audience members. The former is an essential Foos track (despite oddly not making the cut on Sunday) because it brings a certain fury that just wakes everybody up and the latter is simply a classic. Nobody knew that the next night they would blow this rendition out of the water (ha!) but it was still extremely fun to sing along to this hit in such a small setting. Next up was "Learn to Fly", which although it is a classic it has always been somewhere in the middle for me and on this night I feel like I was just eating everything up as I found myself not overthinking and rather enjoying the experience (geeked out hard). "Generator", a song that I had never seen live was a nice surprise up next; yet another reason this show kind of redeemed the band in a major way for me, not that they really owe me a thing.


"The Pretender" and the Taylor Hawkins production "Cold Day in the Sun" were next up, followed by "Long Road to Ruin"; neither of which are favourites of mine but on this night it felt like anything the band did was gold... which brings me to "Stacked Actors". This has been one of my favourite Foos tracks since first hearing There's Nothing Left to Lose but in the arenas it always felt like it got passed off, with the band playing and adding some jams which usually don't feel natural (in the past). On this Saturday night in Chicago in the relatively tiny venue, it led to Dave Grohl entering the crowd through the balcony, jamming, and passing his guitar back to the stage by means of the audience; really cool moment that was certainly one of the highlights of the night for me. I hate to be that guy, but alot of people moved forward as Dave performed from the balcony which resulted in a better view. The crowd around me was extremely friendly for the entire night, having already saved spots while grabbing beers and just being politely energetic (the good kind!). I swear, I wasn't being a dick about it.

Slowing things down slightly was the acoustic rendition of "Times Like These" which eventually was completed by the rest of the band, then the cover of "Young Man Blues", another that I was previously on the fence about. After "Skin and Bones" was another track which demanded audience participation, "Best of You", and boy do they get it everytime. Finally, the main set closed with much earlier track "This is a Call" which has been inconsistently appearing on setlists so it was great to hear it again.

Of course they weren't done. The three-song encore started off with one of their earliest hits, "Monkey Wrench", which also required the energetic crowd. Next was one more that I had not seen live, "Hey, Johnny Park!", adding yet another point to the list of reasons for which this show was unique and kicked ass. Sadly, the most bittersweet point of the evening was the conclusion of the Colour and the Shape trio, smash hit "Everlong" wrapped up the evening. Argue it all you want, this is one of the best rock songs from the last 15 years and it's certainly a personal favourite of mine. Previously I had seen the band twice and each time this was performed mid-set with acoustic, so to see it for the first time with the full-band, start to finish, in a tiny venue like this felt like the perfect way to conclude this crazy Saturday night. I almost cried.

As the band exited the stage after about 150 minutes, this ridiculous evening of music ended with a poster giveaway in the lobby but unfortunately I was unable to snag one. The staff at the venue was incredibly friendly about it after I tried to obtain one, but no such luck. Oh well, the stack of pictures and memories will have to suffice.

So the Foo Fighters more or less have been around for most of my life as a music fan, starting with "Monkey Wrench", "Everlong", and "My Hero" in 1997/1998 (might have seen the "Big Me" video earlier, but I don't know for sure). They had their ups and downs (which is well-documented in Back and Forth, their very-own movie) which delivered a slew of hits and admittedly, some duds. After the release of "In Your Honour" in 2005 I felt like I had reconnected with an old friend in a big way, only to have mixed feelings about follow-up "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace". The accompanying tour didn't help this feeling of doubt as the band had moved up to extremely popular arena band, while also embracing their softer side, leading to some favourites of mine receiving a lighter feel in the live setting ("My Hero", "Everlong") and then something happened. They seemingly hit the jackpot by selling out two nights at Wembley Stadium in 2008 and as a result, it seemed as though they needed a new goal. When the band set forth to work on their 2011 release "Wasting Light" they scaled back their processes and amped up their material, seemingly the perfect mix for certain Foo Fighters fans. This past spring the group debuted the album in various clubs and smaller settings, including a handful of garage sets in front of lucky contest winners.

For me, I knew that I would be seeing them in a hockey arena in Buffalo in September, as well as in a field of people at Lollapalooza, but having the opportunity to see this band at Metro in Chicago was honestly a dream come true. I often wonder which acts I would truly want to see, and there are always many, but it's not everyday that one of your lifelong favourite bands who have exploded to superstar status play in a tiny club with you in the audience. I have always loved Chicago too, so it was certainly fitting. The energy was electric, everybody was just happy to be there and getting along in such a great way. This felt like a gig for primarily dedicated fans and not so much just something to do on a Saturday night, I just wish I could have helped out some of the unluckier few outside of the venue.

In 2007 I saw the White Stripes in Toronto, thanks to a very well timed, last-minute call and I always felt as if that show changed my perspective on music in many ways. Throughout the years I have seen plenty of shows, big and small, and I always considered that show elevated above the rest for the purpose it served in my life. On August 6, 2011, the Foo Fighters reminded me why they have always held a place with me. In arena shows you know what to expect and there is usually less room for surprises. I kept waiting for this set to feel typical but it just didn't, and it was damn fun. They pulled out surprises, they interacted with the audience and made everybody feel like they were just hanging out with these rock stars. This night was special for me on many different levels and it gave me the kick in the ass I needed as a fan. If they somehow stumble onto this review, thank you!

Unfortunately I missed opener the Joy Formidable who hit the stage around 10 (as I was getting on the L en route to the venue). Then I got home and went to sleep at 4am, hours away from Lollapalooza where I would be lucky enough to see them again.


Setlist:
Bridge Burning
Rope
Dear Rosemary
White Limo
Arlandria
These Days
Back & Forth
A Matter of Time
Miss the Misery
I Should Have Known
Walk
All My Life
My Hero
Learn to Fly
Generator
The Pretender
Cold Day in the Sun
Long Road to Ruin
Stacked Actors
Times Like These (Acoustic)
Young Man Blues (Mose Allison)
Skin and Bones
Best of You
This is a Call

Monkey Wrench
Hey, Johnny Park!
Everlong

Album Breakdown:
Wasting Light: 11
The Colour and the Shape: 4
There is Nothing Left to Lose: 3
Echoes, Silence, Patience, & Grace: 2
In Your Honour: 2
One by One: 2
Foo Fighters: 1
B-Side: 1
+ "Young Man Blues"





Monday 29 August 2011

Review - Incubus (Toronto, ON)

Incubus w/ Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman)
Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
Toronto, ON
Sunday, August 28, 2011


(Due to a human error on my part, the original review I wrote is long gone)


In short, I've been a long time Incubus fan, particularly their older material but this show was very fun. They played a good amount of tracks to please their older fans as well as a fair share of newer material to help promote their new record, If Not Now, When?.

Opening with older favourites, Pardon Me and Wish You Were Here the band was exploding out of the gate. Despite a sudden slowdown on new track Adolescents, the energy quickly resumed with their hit single Anna Molly, only to return to the quieter form on Promises, Promises. This back and forth essentially sums up the evening, at least from this fans perspective, as the band launched back into Make Yourself and Morning View tracks Circles, When It Comes, Consequence and even the lone SCIENCE track, Vitamin.

I myself am not a big fan of the new album, but the next track In The Company of Wolves is quite enjoyable in the live setting (and even on album actually) as it builds and allows for some exploration, featuring plenty of jams to keep even the most cynical of fans satisfied (this guy!).

Wrapping up the main setlist were some stripped-down versions of Defiance and an alternate approach to Dig, which was essentially a washroom break for some, but on a cool Sunday night at the end of the summer it was nice to experience. Just a Phase, A Crow Left of the Murder, Drive, and Nice To Know You was a nice way to wrap up the main set (also Thieves was in there) and for the most part these songs are likely to remain staples going forward.

After a brief stoppage, the encore began with the lively political song Megalomaniac then wrapped up with Tomorrow's Food, which closes out both the evening and their new album.

Overall, as an older fan of the group I would certainly say they're worth checking out, but they're somewhat expensive. They're very talented, Brandon Boyd (lead singer) can definitely still bring it, and a good way to spend a summer evening.

I missed opener Tom Morello (The Nightwatchman), but didn't hear positive things about his set. Unfortunately I can't properly comment on his set.

Setlist:
Pardon Me
Wish You Were Here
Adolescents
Anna Molly
Promises, Promises
If Not Now, When?
Circles
When It Comes
Consequence
Vitamin
In the Company of Wolves
Defiance (Acoustic)
Dig
Just a Phase
A Crow Left of the Murder
Drive
Thieves
Nice to Know You

Megalomaniac
Tomorrow's Food

Album Breakdown:
If Not Now, When?: 7
Make Yourself: 4
Morning View: 4
A Crow Left of the Murder: 2
Light Grenades: 2
S.C.I.E.N.C.E.: 1

Saturday 13 August 2011

Lollapalooza 2011 - Recap


Lollapalooza 2011 was already a week ago and had a seriously tough act to follow from 2010. Rules to making a satisfying sequel? Keep enough of the same things that worked from the first time and expand on the strengths, while thinning out the weaknesses. Did they succeed? I'm not sure, but 2010 and 2011 were completely different experiences for me and I am quite certain that I will return next year.

===============================================
First off, a quick primer as to the layout just incase a few common references cause confusion:



Moving from top to bottom and following the orange tags (from North to South):

Bud Light stage (top right, right): Hosts headlining sets each night as well as others throughout the weekend, including higher-tier acts. Big open field and has the Chicago skyline in the background.

Playstation stage (top right, centre): Hosts sets throughout the weekend including some high-tier acts, but no headliners. Concrete surface, experienced various sound problems on the weekend. Features sets as the main headliners prepare for their slots.

Google + stage (middle left, upper half): Small stage, hosts a variety of low-to-mid tier sets throughout the weekend, covered in trees, close to Michigan Avenue.

BMI stage (middle right, upper half): Similar to Google +, small stage, covered in trees, closer to Lake Michigan.

Kidzapalooza (middle right, bottom half): Features exclusively family-friendly content from various artists. I did not attend this stage this year.

Sony stage (bottom right, right): Hosts sets throughout the weekend including some high-tier artists, but no headliners. Smells like shit and includes sets as the main headliners prepare for their slots.

Perry's (bottom left, left): One big dance party in a tent, always expanding.

Music Unlimited stage (bottom right, right): Hosts headlining sets each night as well as others throughout the weekend, including more higher-tier acts. Big open field, very muddy in 2011 (especially for Eminem and the Foo Fighters).

===============================================
Thursday:
The festival started Friday morning at 11:30am and ran until 10:00pm each night; one lesson I didn't act on from last year was to pace myself. We arrived in Chicago Thursday evening and instead of resting up, it was off to a pre-show at the Double Door! I found out about this one on Thursday morning, hours before boarding and so it was a very pleasant surprise because it featured one of my favourite finds from this years lineup reveal, The Joy Formidable.

Double Door was hosting a free event featuring four bands (openers were Little Hurricane, Lord Huron, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.) but for various reasons we only made it for the latter (and headliner, of course). Starting with Dale Jr. Jr., our evening started off with a delay as the band was experiencing issues in setting up their stage, which was already putting a damper on things considering it was around 11:00pm and being out late isn't advisable when one has three straight days of music and powerwalking. The band itself wasn't bad and played a couple very random covers (We Almost Lost Detroit and Higher Love), but in general was quite forgettable.


The Joy Formidable started just after midnight and made it all worth it. Blowing through a very high-energy set that featured tracks from their breakout album The Big Roar, while sneaking in fan favourite Greyhounds in the Slips to the standard setlist, the band elevated their status for me on Sunday from must-see to camp-and-get-a-great-spot. The band is led by front woman Ritzy Bryan (vocals, guitar), Rhydian Dafydd on bass guitar (plus backing vocals), and rounding out the trio on drums is Matt Thomas. While each fan may have a preference or be drawn to Ritzy, it is the work of the whole group that makes them work so well. Say what you will about their studio work, it explodes in the live setting and I cannot give them a higher recommendation at this time. Check them out in the small venues while you can (they're opening for the Foo Fighters this fall and will get noticed).


===============================================

Friday:
Lollapalooza is officially here! Unlike last year we skipped the very first act of the weekend, which was disappointing for me but at the same time Wye Oak reportedly had sound problems and it would have put a damper on things. The new wristbands are cloth and so far the line to enter seems to be moving quite well. Where to begin...

TAB the Band: (12:15 - 01:00, North - Playstation)
Not much to really report on. Typical early-day band that I honestly didn't take much away with, aside from "We're on Facebook: TAB the Band. We're on Twitter: TAB the Band. We're on MySpace: Coldplay." They seemed like an enjoyable early-day band though.


Young the Giant: (01:00 - 01:45, North - Bud Light)
Wow! Very early in the day and the crowd on the north field is massive, very reminiscent of B.o.B in 2010 for the unexpectedly large crowd as the festival was beginning. These guys are enjoyable and pretty upbeat which made for a good starting point for the fest, but despite wandering to Tennis for a brief moment (not my scene) I did manage to catch their hit "My Body" which closed out their time.


Delta Spirit: (02:15 - 03:00, South - Music Unlimited)
I was looking forward to seeing these guys and while the set was enjoyable, they didn't steal my attention away for the complete time. I would certainly recommend checking them out but thinking back on the weekend I'm having a difficult time remembering anything memorable.


Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: (02:30 - 03:30, North - Bud Light)
This felt like the beginning of women dominating Friday at Lollapalooza 2011. I was on the fence ahead of time about checking out this set but I'm certainly glad I made the trek north as the set was full of energy and I can't help but recommend them when they're in town next (which happens to be my birthday this year... interesting!). Good interaction with the crowd and she even adjusted the lyrics to her/their single "Paris (Ooh La La)" to incorporate the festival, very naturally too.


Le Butcherettes: (03:30 - 04:15, North - Google +)
Surprise set of the weekend in many ways. I heard of them months ago as they are creating positive buzz for themselves, but I didn't follow-up as I had intended and upon walking to the restroom before Smith Westerns I overheard these guys starting up and I couldn't ignore it. The ridiculous amount of stage presence from front woman Teri Gender Bender made for an entertaining set which also included a furious display by drummer Gabe Serbian (I had never been at a show where a woman threw a high heel into the audience, nor have I heard a performer tell a crowd "I want to lick your tongues with my loving"). Definitely check them out in the live setting if you get the opportunity. I'm still mixed on the album itself but I know what I saw in Chicago and it was nuts. There was also projectile vomiting from behind the drums (...yup). This and Grace Potter felt like the serious boost that Friday needed.


Smith Westerns: (03:30 - 04:30, North - Playstation)
Coming off of two high-energy sets this was more or less the equivalent of Spoon in 2010 for me, where I'm sure they were good but I was coming down from the previous act and couldn't help but feel a little underwhelmed. Oh well.


The Kills: (04:30 - 05:30, North - Bud Light)
While I enjoy their music, I find their live show leaves something to be desired. The tracks are all performed well but it's essentially Alison Mosshart singing away, guitarist Jamie Hince doing his thing while a drum machine takes care of that part. Just feels like other two-piece bands are stronger at engaging an audience and making better use of the stage. Having said that I did enjoy the set, but it was nothing special (this was also my third time seeing them). Plus, Alison didn't faint this year.


Two Door Cinema Club: (05:00 - 06:00, South - Sony)
Caught the tail end of this set and I'm glad I did (bit of a roll developing here!) as it was filled with great energy from both the stage and the audience. In a far different manner than the last two acts, this one was very upbeat and dancey, especially for "What You Know" and "I Can Talk". They're in Toronto on September 17th at the Kool Haus and if Lolla was any indication, I am quite certain it's going to be a good time.


A Perfect Circle: (06:00 - 07:15, South - Music Unlimited)
After having seen them at Edgefest my expectations were lower, but I wasn't a fan of any of the opposing acts in this slot so I checked them out. Their brooding sound was far different than that of the previous set and this vibe was set from the get-go which included a cover of John Lennon's "Imagine". This was a pleasant surprise since their Toronto show had this song near the end, but definitely more engaging to put it near the front. Favourite live track by them was once again "Counting Bodies Like Sheep To The Rhythm of War Drums" which much like at Edgefest just feels like a giant thud every 3 seconds. I'd recommend checking them out if you have the opportunity to do so, but don't break the bank on it.


Finally made my way to Perry's to see what the fuss was all about as Skrillex was performing. This place was absolutely madness, but not really my scene; still cool to see a group so large having a great time.

Ok Go: (07:15 - 08:30, North - Google +)
Briefly caught some of this set and it's a little disappointing that they got such a conflicting time slot (this was an ideal time to start camping for the headliners), but from the chunk of their set I saw they were enjoyable. The band arrived with bright red, blue, yellow, and green suits which was consistent with my expectations of them being an outgoing band. They opened with "Do What You Want" and then I took off following about 4-5 more songs, but I hear great things about the conclusion of their set.


Muse: (08:15 - 10:00, South - Music Unlimited)
I feel like these guys don't get the respect they deserve. Their sound isn't for everybody, but their live show is damn good. As a non-fan I found myself engaged in most of the set right as "Uprising" hit; I'll give these guys the Green Day title from last year of being a band that I don't really enjoy on record, but they know what they're doing live (displaying the lyrics on a screen for a field of people is a good idea). Unfortunately, despite all of that praise there was this little indie band playing on the opposite end of the property for whom I was curious to see in the live environment, so for the first time in my Lolla history I split headliner sets and ventured off to...

Coldplay: (08:30 - 10:00, North - Bud Light)
Sadly I had just missed "Yellow" and "The Scientist" while at Muse but still managed to catch about 10 tracks which is sufficient for me, including "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" and "Everything's Not Lost". My view (much like at Muse) was lousy but this set got me back into older Coldplay. This was a funny day for Lolla because neither of the headliners intrigued me on paper beforehand but despite each of them being enjoyable I also didn't feel obligated to stay, so to avoid mass exodus I listened to the encore from the exit (which I'm told was the most visual part of their set, whoops, I did get to hear "Clocks" though).

All in all this was a great start to the festival, one down and two to go.


===============================================
Saturday:
I hear I missed quite an opening set by J. Roddy Walston and the Business as the gates opened, but managed to spend some time with the guys so, it evens out. Rain clouds approach...

Phantogram: (01:30 - 02:30, South - Sony)
My first rainy set of Lollapalooza 2011 (and it would not be the last) was not really my scene, but this was a good time anyways. In hindsight it was nice to diversify what I listened to on the weekend and although I'm not certain I would push their live show as being must-see, they're nice on the ears. Check out the track "When I'm Small".


Fitz & The Tantrums: (02:30 - 03:30, South - Music Unlimited)
One choice that I was on the fence about was this set (especially since Friendly Fires have received plenty of praise), but I'm quite happy we picked this group and in addition to this I kind of wish I saw them in Toronto back in June. Featuring a motown sound the band gives the audience an entertaining show in the live setting and even broke out a couple of unexpected covers ("Steady As She Goes" and "Sweet Dreams", The Raconteurs and Eurythmics, respectively). Definitely check these guys out and be ready to dance (or head-bob). I feel like they are a great sunny day act to check out as well (especially since the rain stopped).


Death From Above 1979: (04:00 - 05:00, North - Bud Light)
Reunited Toronto rockers Death From Above 1979 brought it to Grant Park, but I feel like they would thrive more in a club setting compared to a sunny, open-field. In any event they were enjoyable, but with a ridiculous amount of hype in 2011 behind them it's tough to live up to those expectations. This felt like a similar experience to Le Butcherettes except it wasn't as engaging from a distance, but they'll be playing the Sound Academy in October where perhaps I will be closer.

Deftones: (05:00 - 06:00, North - Playstation)
Sound issues at the Playstation stage! I heard the set was good if you were close to the stage, but anywhere beyond the initial sea of people it was hopeless trying to hear them. Major disappointment considering I was curious to see these guys, oh well.

Checked out Patrick Stump and Ellie Goulding instead but neither of which were very engaging for me.


Ween: (06:00 - 07:00, North - Bud Light)
Uh oh, Saturday is derailing in a major way! I was on the fence about this set for months but they did not manage to grab my interest. I've heard extremely mixed reviews about this set, but I ducked out somewhat early in order to make my way south. They covered David Bowie's "Let's Dance" as well.

Tried to catch Lykke Li beforehand but it didn't really pan out.


Eminem: (08:30 - 10:00, South - Music Unlimited)
This was both extremely fun and disappointing. Fun in the sense that this was the largest crowd I had ever seen (in person) and everybody was having a great time while Marshall belted out new and old tunes. Disappointing in the sense that it's exactly what he did at every other show this summer and didn't feel natural. The musical content itself was good and it even appeared as though Em wasn't lip syncing (except on "No Love" or "Forever", but I can't blame him for needing a breath there). Coming off of last years album Recovery, the set contained a great deal of tracks from there, as well as all of the hits we've known to recognize, and some newer tracks from his 2011 album with Royce Da 5'9", Hell: The Sequel. His partner in crime even showed up to complete the Bad Meets Evil pairing and to perform their hits "Fast Lane" and "Lighters", the latter of which brought Bruno Mars to Chicago. The problem I have with Eminem in 2011 is that his shows jump from violent tracks such as "Kill You" and then to sappy ones like "Space Bound" which gives off a funny dynamic. Everybody in the crowd was singing/rapping along to all of his tracks (which is kind of scary considering the content of some songs), but I feel like he's at a major crossroads again with his career, or perhaps I'm growing out of him. To quote Alex Young at Consequence of Sound, "If Eminem’s goal was to awkwardly bridge two eras that couldn’t be more different, then mission accomplished." Also, why the hell would festival organizer Perry Farrell tease Dr. Dre appearing at Lolla and then not have it happen? Oh well, he did create this ridiculously enjoyable festival afterall, I can let it slide. I departed this set after "I Need a Doctor" which featured Skylar Grey and not Dre, as the song abruptly ended when his verse was to begin. Being such a large crowd it was quite a task to find the exit which means I still got to listen to closing medley that included "My Name Is", "Without Me", and the "Real Slim Shady", as well as 2010 hit "Not Afraid". I missed the finale "Lose Yourself", but I had much bigger fish to fry.


Foo Fighters played a secret gig at Metro in Chicago (capacity 1,100) which was revealed on Thursday morning. I'll devote an entire entry to it, but with all confidence I would say this was my favourite set of all time. Seriously. So while Saturday had many ups and downs, it had that major peak which resulted in me being home and in bed by about 4am. On paper this was a horrible idea, but one that was worth every second.


===============================================
Sunday:
Whew. Already done 3 days and 2 aftershows, but some of my most anticipated sets await... back to it!


Gold Motel: (12:15 - 01:00, North - Playstation)
They were good. I'm not sure how much of this set I actually remember, but it was enjoyable and unfortunately for them they shared a field with the Joy Formidable whose crowd was not nearly as full as it should have been so I opted to take advantage of this opportunity...


The Joy Formidable: (01:00 - 01:45, North - Bud Light)
One of the top 3 sets of the festival for sure! Saw them on Thursday night of course, but with those expectations, two festival days and a club gig from one of my favourite bands already in the books this weekend I anticipated they would have an extremely tough act to follow. Despite all of that, the band came out with their third Chicago set in four nights with furious energy to start the day off correctly. This set blew by and unfortunately they only played for about 2/3's of their alloted time (30 minutes versus 45), but I was definitely not disappointed with what they delivered; quality over quantity. Again, I highly recommend checking them out at this stage as I suspect they will gain popularity and their pricetag will likely increase. The set concluded with lead singer Ritzy Bryan slamming her guitar against a gong, throwing a drumset, and generally everybody in the band going as wild as they can to extend set closer "Whirring". Some of the studio tracks that I wasn't too fond of certainly came alive in this environment.


Rival Schools: (01:45 - 02:30, North - Playstation)
Man... this and Smith Westerns were basically the same for me. Nothing special, same stage, and I had just dealt with a high-energy set. This one was disappointing as their studio stuff is cool, but not much going on in person on this day.


Little Hurricane: (02:05 - 02:45, North - Google +)
Surprisingly good! This blues duo was a late addition to the lineup and after missing their opening set on Thursday I heard some negative buzz among people at the concert, so my expectations were low. Having said that, the description of the group from one concertgoer as being a "poor man's White Stripes" is somewhat accurate, but their set was good enough to warrant me buying their album afterwards, so it certainly wasn't bad at all in my opinion. Some slide guitar and bluesy riffs on a sunny afternoon were definitely welcome for me. I've talked to others who didn't enjoy this one, but I did, and since I'm the one doing the writing here that is what matters. Recommend!


The Cool Kids: (03:00 - 04:00, South - Perry's)
This felt like my first actual appearance at Perry's since I had an interest in seeing who was playing and not just feeling out the atmosphere. I stayed for about half of the set and managed to catch some personal favourites from Bake Sale, including "88" and "Mikey Rocks." They were also a late-add to replace Jay Electronica and they certainly managed to bring some entertainment to Lolla.


Flogging Molly: (04:15 - 05:15, North - Bud Light)
2010 was Gogol Bordello, 2011 is Flogging Molly. I'm not overly familiar with their catalogue but I knew what to expect: an extremely high energy set where everybody in the crowd is having fun with a Gypsy Irish punk band playing. Surprise surprise, this set was fun, even from afar and I would definitely check them out again (ALSO in town on my birthday against Grace).


Arctic Monkeys: (06:00 - 07:00 06:30 - 07:15, South - Music Unlimited)
Ugh. The set was scheduled to begin at 6pm and Mother Nature apparently isn't a fan of their music because it started to absolutely pour just before then for almost half an hour. Unfortunately this meant that the boys had a shortened set and as one of my most anticipated ones of the weekend this was very disappointing news. Thankfully, this was somehow a blessing in disguise as it led to one of their better sets that I have seen which consisted of a lively crowd (who had just been soaked), the guys being in better spirits, and no time to slow down which resulted in a consistently energetic set. Opening up with "Library Pictures" and "Brianstorm", the momentum carried through the set which included "Still Take You Home", "The View From the Afternoon", and breakout hit "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor". I made my way to a neighbouring stage towards what I thought was the end (7pm) but instead of finishing then they were given slightly more time which resulted in a proper finale. Playing a solid mix of tracks from their four studio albums and finishing with an unsuspecting closer ("When The Sun Goes Down") after "Flourescent Adolescent" I can't help but say this was one of the stronger sets of the weekend. Still no "Mardy Bum", but maybe someday. They also have some songs very well titled for this atmosphere which was definitely made apparent as they started to play them ("Crying Lightning", "She's Thunderstorms"). Oh hey, the whole set has surfaced.


After a quick appearance at Explosions in the Sky, it's now time for the main event...

Foo Fighters: (08:00 - 10:00, South - Music Unlimited)
How in the hell do they top a small club gig while playing in a field for thousands upon thousands of people? Call up Mother Nature and get her to rain down on one of their biggest songs, leading to torrential downpour and a massive sing-a-long in Grant Park, that's how. Leading off the set with "Bridge Burning" and "Rope" from their newest album Wasting Light, the guys quickly reminded Chicago that they can appeal to the diverse crowd at the festival. Upon playing "The Pretender", the clouds opened up and threw down perhaps more rain than the previous storm just as "My Hero" was beginning which led to quite possibly my favourite live performance of all time. Yes, of all time. Check out the video here. Despite having an umbrella in my sightlines we were still able to appreciate and partake in the moment that would go on to define the weekend. Seriously, perfect timing. Continuing along the boys played tracks from most of their previous albums including hits "Learn to Fly", "Monkey Wrench" and "Breakout", as well as new crowd favourites "White Limo", "Arlandria", and recent single "Walk", the Foo Fighters proved that they may very well be the best live band on the planet right now. Again, my write-up, I don't care if their songs sound alike, they're damn fun and they're one of my favourite bands. Not to be outdone from the Metro, Dave entered the crowd to jam during Stacked Actors which was fun but with such tight time restraints (10pm curfew, thanks Green Day) the typical moments of excess felt like they ate into the space where other tracks would have gone. In what I imagine was a very rare moment, band and crowd-favourite "All My Life" was not played seemingly due to the band running out of time; considering Dave himself said in the documentary Back and Forth that this track is essential for their shows, this omission seemed odd. However, it wasn't until analyzing the setlist afterwards that we noticed it was missing, so it didn't hinder the experience for me. Before the conclusion of the set, Dave brought out Jane's Addiction frontman and Lollapalooza creator Perry Farrell to thank him for making this festival the success it has been over twenty years. The band then jumped into "Everlong" to close out this extremely memorable set and weekend.


I can't believe I forgot to mention the mud. Much like Eminem's set, thanks to the rain this was an extremely muddy affair for which my Adidas shoes did not live to tell.


===============================================

Summary:

Total Acts Seen on Friday: 9 (and some of Tennis and Ok Go)

Total Acts Seen on Saturday: 5 (and some of Deftones, Ellie Goulding, Patrick Stump, Lykke Li, and Beats Antique)

Total Acts Seen on Sunday: 8 (and some of Kingston Springs, Cage the Elephant and Explosions in the Sky)

Total Acts Seen at Lollapalooza 2011: 22

Total Nights Slept on Couch: 4

Total Vince Carter Toronto Raptors Jerseys Spotted: 1

===============================================

Food:

Lobster Corndog (Grahamwich, South): Slightly more crispy than last year, but I feel as though it has been improved. Maybe in 2012 I will buy one (for less than $9) and hit the sweetspot.

Deep Dish Sausage Pizza (Connie's Pizza, North): I'm in Chicago, I pretty much had to have another at some point.

Chicken Gyro (Greek Delights, North): Good, hit the spot on Saturday evening.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich (Robinson's No. 1 Ribs, North): Tasty! Required a fork and knife, the bread was essentially decoration. My preferred of the two I had.

Pulled Pork Sandwich (The Smoke Daddy, South): This one actually was to be eaten as a sandwich versus the one at (north vendor). Very rarely have I had a bad pulled pork sandwich and this was not the exception.


Drinks:

Budweiser: Bud's Bud.

Sweet Leaf Original Tea: Delicious! This was my weapon of choice when beer and water were not appealing to my tastebuds; forgot to import some back to Canada.

Water: Once again, Mother Nature brought the heat before the storm and so the water at Lolla was certainly refreshing (very, very refreshing)... and free as you walked in!
===============================================


And with that another Lollapalooza is in the books... nuts! While 2010 and 2011 were completely different experiences, I felt even with a less appealing lineup this year that the actual delivery of certain acts may have helped trump last year. Each stands alone as an overwhelmingly positive experience for me and I will certainly be back in 2012, as well as recommend the trip to my friends. While there were instances of slight disappointment, there was still a whole weekend full of exceptional moments that I am glad I got to experience first-hand and I look forward to next summer.

Well, until next time...


===============================================

Thanks to the Lollapalooza community for putting together various setlists, check it out for the non-headliners as well:

Setlist (Muse):
Uprising
Supermassive Black Hole
Hysteria
(Star-Spangled Banner/Interlude intro, Back In Black outro)
Map of the Problematique
Butterflies & Hurricanes
(Glastonbury 2004 intro)
Guiding Light
Citizen Erased
Nishe
United States Of Eurasia
Helsinki Jam
Undisclosed Desires
Resistance
Time Is Running Out
(House of the Rising Sun intro)
Starlight
Stockholm Syndrome

Plug In Baby
(Burning Bridges intro)
Knights of Cydonia
(Man With a Harmonica)


Setlist (Coldplay):
MX
Hurts Like Heaven
Yellow
In My Place
Major Minus
Lost!
The Scientist
Shiver
Violet Hill
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (alternate)
Everything's Not Lost
Us Against the World
Politik
Viva La Vida
Charlie Brown
Life Is For Living

Clocks
Rehab Intro (Amy Winehouse)
Fix You
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall


Setlist (Eminem):
Won't Back Down
3 a.m.
Square Dance
WTP
Kill You
No Love
So Bad
Cleanin' Out My Closet
The Way I Am
Fast Lane (feat. Royce da 5'9")
Lighters (feat. Royce da 5'9" and Bruno Mars)
Airplanes Pt. II
Stan
Sing For The Moment
Like Toy Soldiers
Forever
Cinderella Man
'Till I Collapse
Love the Way You Lie
I Need A Doctor (feat. Skylar Grey)
My Name Is
The Real Slim Shady
Without Me
Not Afraid

Lose Yourself

Setlist (Arctic Monkeys):
Library Pictures
Brianstorm
This House Is A Circus
Still Take You Home
Don't Sit Down Cause I've Moved Your Chair
She's Thunderstorms
Teddy Picker
Crying Lightening
The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala
The View From The Afternoon
I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
Fluorescent Adolescent
When The Sun Goes Down


Setlist (Foo Fighters):
Bridge Burning
Rope
The Pretender
My Hero
Learn To Fly
White Limo
Arlandria
Breakout
Cold Day in the Sun
Long Road to Ruin
Stacked Actors
Walk
Monkey Wrench
Let It Die
These Days
Times Like These
Young Man Blues (Mose Allison cover)
Best of You
Skin and Bones
Everlong

Thursday 11 August 2011

Review - Soundgarden (San Francisco, CA)

Soundgarden w/ The Mars Volta
Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
San Francisco, CA
Thursday, July 21, 2011



As a casual fan of Soundgarden I managed to check them out at Lollapalooza 2010 and enjoyed myself. However, in that setting I suspect there were more casual fans attending rather than the dedicated ones that made it out on this night.

Right from the get-go the crowd was into this set and it was apparent, especially with front man Chris Cornell who looked to be having more fun than their reunion gigs last summer. I would certainly suggest checking out the band, but their pricetag might turn off some people (thankfully, I blindly bought it and tacked it onto my personal vacation fund...).

Plain and simple, these guys play straight-up rock which may get repetitive but that is exactly what their audience wants. Upon plowing through a diverse set of old and very old tracks, the band made San Fran feel special on this night by breaking out the track Drawing Flies which was the first time the track has appeared on their setlist since their reunion last spring.

Be warned: Soundgarden is an extremely LOUD band, plan accordingly. Long after set-closer Slaves & Bulldozers concluded, the ringing could still be heard outside of the venue and even while walking on McAllister Street. I knew this coming in (based on Lolla) but thought it may have been a cumulative effort on behalf of each band I saw that weekend. Really though, it was Soundgarden.

Opening for them was The Mars Volta, a band from El Paso, Texas who I had always been told to get into but never gave them the proper listen. After this show I have made a slightly stronger effort to but despite that I can fully endorse their live show (I honestly have just not had time to check them out in the last few weeks). Playing tracks primarily from their untitled upcoming album, the band ripped through a 7-track set in explosive fashion while doing their best to ensure the headliner had a tough act to follow. Lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala managed to break the ice with a Full House reference (in San Fran afterall) while splicing in The Facts of Life during the rest of the set; this lightheartedness mixed with some solid music full of very natural-feeling jams made for quite an opening set that Soundgarden would have to work extra hard to top.

Great night of live music in a really cool venue. The Bill Graham Civic Auditorium has a very large vibe to it, but allows the audience to obtain clear sight lines and feel close to the action. Picture an oversized high school gymnasium with a second level of seats, in addition to a very wide floor.



Setlist (Soundgarden):
Searching With My Good Eye Closed
Spoonman
Room a Thousand Years Wide
Jesus Christ Pose
Blow Up the Outside World
The Day I Tried to Live
My Wave
Ugly Truth
Fell on Black Days
Loud Love
Drawing Flies
Outshined
Nothing to Say
Rusty Cage
Black Hole Sun
Black Rain
Burden in My Hand
Head Down
Superunknown
4th of July

Beyond the Wheel
Pretty Noose
Like Suicide
Slaves & Bulldozers

Album Breakdown:
Superunknown: 9
Badmotorfinger: 7
Down on the Upside: 3
Louder Than Love: 2
Screaming Life/Fopp: 1
Telephantasm: 1
Ultramega OK: 1


Setlist (The Mars Volta):
Aegis
The Whip Hand
Molochwalk
Dyslexicon
The Malkin Jewel
Broken English Jam
Goliath

Album Breakdown:
Untitled New Album: 5
The Bedlam in Goliath: 1
Cover: 1
Amputechture: 0
Frances the Mute: 0
Octahedron: 0
Scab Dates: 0