Life is Music™

Adam Duritz and the rest of his California based band, Counting Crows, played a sold out show at the State Theatre in Minneapolis, MN on Saturday, April 21, 2012. The band is currently on tour in support of Underwater Sunshine, their first album in four years. The crowd, seemingly all couples, got going six songs in when the band unleashed a nearly ten minute and highly emotional version of their iconic 1993 hit “Round Here” from their fantastic debut album, August and Everything After.  Mean Creek, a four piece rock band from Boston, MA opened the show.

Photos taken for Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Counting Crows

Minneapolis mayor RT Rybak, and Duluth mayor Don Ness proclaimed that April 11th, 2012 was Trampled by Turtles Day in Minnesota before diving into the crowd. RT Rybak floated around with a big smile, while Mr. Ness’ dive into the crowd wasn’t as smooth, resulting in him hitting the floor. Singer, Dave Simonett announced his appreciation for the honor before he and the rest of Minnesota gems, Trampled by Turtles, got their set moving. The set was heavy on tunes from their brand new album, Stars and Satellites. It was one of the mellowest Trampled shows I have seen, with the new songs taking a softer and slower approach than many of their previous foot stomping sing-alongs.

The boys from Duluth did hit on some of their older fast paced hits including “Codeine”, “Wait So Long” and “Arming of Infants”, which gave nice contrast to the more folkie tunes from the beautiful and mature Stars and Satellites. But overall the show was comfortably mid-paced. As one could expect, the show had long been sold out and the crowd was a nice mix of young and middle aged. For their newest single “Alone”, the band brought out their mothers, wives and girlfriends to create a small backup choir. The lyrics of that song are direct and touching. Having their love ones behind them created a beautiful contradiction

These United States and Minnesota boy, Erik Koskinen and his band opened up the night. All in all, is was another fantastic Trampled by Turtles show. Go and buy their new album Stars and Satellites.

Photos taken for Twin Cities Daily Planet.

Trampled By Turtles

These United States

Icelandic band, Of Monsters and Men, played a sold out show at the Fine Line Music Cafe in Minneapolis in support of their upcoming release My Head Is An Animal. This is the young band’s first North American tour, and if the capacity crowd at the intimate Fine Line Music Cafe was any indication, the band will be back soon enough. Their set sounded pure and from the heart, with a mix of folk and rock that the crowd ate up attentively. It was a true pleasure being up front and feeling their music pulsating through the stage and the floor. The band even sang happy birthday to a girl standing to my right after she shouted out between songs, “It’s my birthday!”. Of Monsters and Men were humble, and extremely appreciative of the large crowd who came out to witness them even before their first album has been released in America.

Opening the night was fellow Icelandic musician, Lay Low. She was soft spoken and wore a huge grin through most of her short acoustic set. It was a beautiful evening of music.

Photos taken for Twin Cities Daily Planet. Check out the link for a more in depth review.

Of Monsters and Men

Of Monsters and Men – Fine Line Music Cafe, Minneapolis, MN 03.29.12 Setlist:
Dirty Paws
From Finner
Beneath My Bed
Slow and Steady
Mountain Sound
King and Lionheart
Love Love Love
Close to Me
Little Talks
Six Weeks
Encore:
Your Bones
Sloom
Lakehouse

Lay Low

Omaha, Nebraska’s The Mynabirds hit the 7th Street Entry in Minneapolis on Thursday, March 22nd. Fronted by singer-songwriter Laura Burhenn, The Mynabirds banged out a percussive set of indie-pop to a comfortably full crowd. It was a lovely set of mostly new tunes from their upcoming Saddle Creek release GENERALS, which comes out June 5th.

Opening the night was Saddle Creek label-mates, Big Harp, and the Minneapolis five-piece, Mages. Both bands played beautifully.

Photos take for music blog Reviler. Check it out!

The Mynabirds

Big Harp

Mages

The Brick,  a new AEG Live music venue in Minneapolis, MN opened its doors on Monday, March 19th, 2012 with the legendary alt-rockers, Jane’s Addiction taking the stage. With a name like “The Brick”, one could assume a solid foundation, but it was obvious from the get-go, that this venue is standing on very shaky ground. The corporate backed venue is bringing in big names, but with exorbitant convenience fees on their tickets ($14.01 per ticket for Marilyn Manson, standard mail $5.54 and will call $6.65), many fans are going to shy away. Those who splurge and go to the shows will quickly realize once inside, this venue is far from ideal.

Jane’s Addiction has long been a favorite band of mine, so the anticipation for this performance was very very high. It is unfortunate however that the distractions of the club interfered with the show greatly. After the Belgium duo Black Box Revelation opened the night with an energetic and fantastic set, the lights went down. Jane’s Addiction hit the stage after Pink Floyd’s “Welcome to the Machine” was played through in its entirety. The capacity crowd screamed for the band to start.

Jane’s opened with “Underground” from their 2011 release The Great Escape Artist. A male and female dancer worked on a column on the right side of the stage while a digital screen underneath played odd video clips. Behind the stage were two giant and nude mannequin statues.  The bass-driven “Ocean Size” from their 1988 album, Nothing’s Shocking was second. By this time I felt somewhat ripped off watching the band who is used to playing the most beautiful venues around, sharing a small and low stage with cold and unwelcoming block wall running adjacent stage right and a massive air duct above. But Jane’s Addiction, being the epitome of rock professionals, did their best to make sure the crowd got their monies worth.

Sight lines in this venue are a major concern. Unless you were up front on the floor, or got there early enough to find a rail on the balcony level, you were going to have a very hard time seeing. Above stage left, a large curtain blocked the view from the front of the balcony. When fans tried to move the curtain to open up a view, the over-staffed security was on them with flashlights. At this point, Perry Farrell voiced his displeasure with AEG and the security, threatening to leave the stage and incite a riot if they didn’t chill out and let the fans enjoy the show. The curtain came down opening up a side view to small group, but still many complained on the balcony about not being able to see.

Jane’s Addiction ended the night with a mellow “Jane Says”, in which guitarist Dave Navarro and bassist, Chris Chaney, both sat in chairs. This was a nice contrast to the rocking performance that saw singer Perry Farrell in the crowd several times. Seeing Jane’s Addiction is always great. But I can’t help but think how much better this show would have been five blocks away at First Avenue. After all, The Brick is similar in capacity size, so I imagine they will often be fighting for the same bands. The Brick is no First Avenue by a long shot. They are not even in the same league. With a long term lease and corporate backing, time will tell how long The Brick stays upright. But if the inaugural show and their ticket fees are any indication, I can see the place crumbling soon.

Photos taken for Twin Cities Daily Planet

Jane’s Addiction

Jane’s Addiction – The Brick – Minneapolis, MN 03.19.12 Setlist:
Undergound
Mountain Song
Just Because
Ain’t No Right
Ted, Just Admit It
Twisted Tales
Been Caught Stealing
Classic Girl
Three Days
Irresistible Force
Stop
Words Right Out of My Mouth
Ocean Size
Encore:
Jane Says

Black Box Revelation

The Brick – The Good
* Jane’s Addiction played the first show!!!!!!! They are awesome!!!!!!
* Sound wasn’t bad, albeit slightly muddy from the balcony at times
* ummm……

The Brick – The Bad
* Ticket fees are outrageous
* Sight lines – really bad unless you get there very early. People on the balcony were angry over this, to the point of nearly start fights by trying to take other people’s rail spots.
* Overstaffed corporate security – some were nice, some were very rude
* Bathrooms – small and not made for crowds, plus in basement bar or balcony
* The Entrance – Very small Will Call window area. If you show up early you are forced into small basement bar. A long line formed in there to get into the venue, with people needing to cut through to get to the actual bar or anywhere for that matter = awkward.
* Poor beer selection unless you love Budweiser and Mich Golden, with no taps at all. 16 oz bottle of water is $3. Small Jameson’s was $8.
* Entering venue – once in line in the basement bar, we were shuttled up in groups of 20. You have to climb two small flights of stairs to get to main level, and obviously another to the balcony.
* Merchandise – in basement tucked around the side in corner – only allows for a few people to look and not big area to display
* The huge block wall and air duct – super unwelcoming giving the already narrow space a closed in feel
* Leaving the venue – get in line and wait as there are 2000 people trying to get out of a couple double doors. The balcony only has one stairway down.

Photographing at The Brick
* The “Photo Pit” is on the balcony on the right side. A small area was roped off and we were doubled up like sardines. Unfortunately the venue did not state the photo pit was on the balcony when passes were approved. This is critical information so that photographers bring correct gear!!!
* The rules stated after the first 3 songs, we would need to leave venue or check in our camera gear to stay. Thankfully no one asked us to check our gear, which I doubt any photographer would feel comfortable doing.
* You should have a 70-200 lens at minimum to get decent shots at this venue.

The Phoenix Philosophy

Cliffton Wales

Below is the new Jane’s Addiction video for the song “Underground”, from their 2011 release The Great Escape Artist. Without a doubt, the band still has it!

A youthful crowd made up the majority of Friday’s sold out show, several whom I overheard were attending their first Umphrey’s McGee concert. The band took the dimly lit stage, and patiently worked into crowd-favorite “Nothing Too Fancy” which hammered directly into a bouncing “Domino Theory”, from Death By Stereo. That was a great start for a rocking set. “Wellwishers”, also from Death By Stereo was up next and didn’t stray far from the album version. The first set ended with “Intentions Clear” > “Baby You’re A Rich Man” > “Got Your Milk (Right Here)” > “Nothing Too Fancy”. What a way to pick up from the fantastic second set of night one.

The second set of night two had its moments, including a beautifully clean “Fussy Dutchman”, and an awesome “Women, Wine and Song” sung by keyboardist, Joel Cummins, but overall I felt the song selection was a little flat in comparison to the first set. After the set completed with “Der Bluten Kat”, the band returned for a two song encore. The slow funk-grooving “Hangover” finished off the two night run with drummer, Kris Myers, adding falsetto backup vocals. The crowd sang, “all night long!” as well, smiling in appreciation for another great run of shows at the best rock club around.

These were the most consistent Umphrey’s McGee shows I have seen in several years. While the show dynamics never strayed too far from the middle, there were some superb highlights from this run, far trumping last year’s First Avenue shows. Perhaps the Mexican sun provided some needed rejuvenation, or perhaps the band has found a new groove, whatever it is, I hope they don’t take long to return to the Twin Cities. How about a summer trip to the Minnesota Zoo, Umphrey’s?? Go see Umphrey’s McGee in a city near you. \mm/

First Avenue – Friday, February 3rd, 2012 Setlist:
Set One
Nothing Too Fancy > Domino Theory, Wellwishers, Dump City > It’s About That Time > Dump City, Intentions Clear > Baby You’re A Rich Man > Got Your Milk (Right Here) > Nothing Too Fancy
Set Two
Hurt Bird Bath > Anchor Drops, The Fussy Dutchman, Women Wine and Song > Der Bluten Kat
Encore
Kimble, Hangover*
Notes
* with One Nation Under a Groove teases

For the first time since their September 13th, 2011 release of Death By Stereo, Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee, returned to Minneapolis, MN. The band, just days off what must have been one super relaxing trip to Mayan Riviera, Mexico for the south-of-the-border resort festival, Mayan Holidaze, seemed focused and in good spirits on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at First Avenue. While the venue wasn’t sold out, the near-capacity crowd was abuzz, especially those lucky enough to have tickets in hand for the “All Night Wrong” late show that was to follow next door at the 250 person capacity 7th Street Entry. “All Night Wrong” was the first ever Umphrey’s McGee all- covers show (with songs chosen by fans).

From the “Phil’s Farm” opener, to the “In the Kitchen” encore, Thursday night’s show was one of the smoothest Umphrey’s McGee shows I have ever seen. It seems some time under the Mexican sun can do great things for a band, as the band played with a calm and focused presence the entire night. The second set was especially nice, starting off with Pink Floyd’s, “In the Flesh” > “Another Brick In the Wall” which worked directly into “Out of Order”.

The highlight of the set, and of the evening, was an extended version of “Red Tape” from the band’s 2009 release, Mantis. “Red Tape” went from its straight-up rock beginnings, into an upbeat bridge that had the band diving head first into a techno jam that had everyone in the room pumping their fists and screaming. Lighting designer, Jefferson Waful, added his luminous touch with lights sparking like stars straight into the crowd, silhouetting the band in deep black. “Andy’s Last Beer” rounded out the excellent set in style, before the band returned for an average version of “In the Kitchen” as their encore. Then those who were lucky enough to have tickets to The Entry (I was not one of them), got in line for what sounded like a great time.

First Avenue – Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 Setlist:
Set One
Phil’s Farm, Example 1*, Room to Breathe, Robot World -> Alex’s House > Go to Hell
Set Two
In the Flesh > Another Brick In the Wall -> Out of Order, Plunger, Walletsworth, Red Tape, FF > Andy’s Last Beer
Encore
In the Kitchen
Notes
* with I Keep Forgettin’ and Xxplosive teases

7th Street Entry – Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 “All Night Wrong” Setlist:
One Set
YYZ, Breathe*, Waiting Room, Billy Jean, Immigrant Song, Cocaine, Comfortably Numb, Moby Dick^, All Night Long, Making Flippy Floppy
Encore
Burning Down the House
Notes
All Night Wrong: late night show comprised of all covers voted on by fans
* dub version
^ with Jake replacing Kris on drums

Swamp rocking soul singer, JJ Grey, brought his band to Minneapolis on the coldest night of the year thus far. The Varsity Theater was comfortably full with a mostly thirty to fifty year old crowd. It may have been frigid outside, but it didn’t take long for the beautiful theater to be filled with warmth as the night got started with a short set by Daryl Hance who was backed up by Mofro’s Anthony Cole on drums and Todd Smallie on bass.

JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound hit the stage next with their hard and driving groove, “Beat of  Our Own Drum”. The band started it off, before JC Brooks glided onto the stage as smooth as could be. It was quickly evident that JC Brooks was someone special, with baby-face looks and a soul sound far beyond his years. The band combined raw Motown with post-punk influence creating a melting pot of R&B and rock. Brooks commanded attention with his voice and his moves, finally persuading the rather shy crowd to move forward to the stage.  The band ripped through a nice set including a cover of Wilco’s, “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” towards the end. Before that song, Brooks commented that the band could only stay smooth for so long, before unleashing their raw power. And that is how they played the song. JC Brooks & the Uptown Sound were one of the most impressive opening bands I have seen in a long time.

JJ Grey & Mofro headlined to an appreciative crowd. JJ Grey’s songs border on gospel at times, speaking proudly of family and his love of life. That gospel was naturally interwoven into gritty swamp rock which had the crowd bouncing and singing along. Grey was in top form, flying in from Florida the same day to start this new tour in Minneapolis. His band seemed equally rested, keeping a tight groove all night for Grey who switched between vocals/guitar, and just vocals. For the encore, Art Edmaiston on sax and Dennis Marion on trumpet hit the front of the stage unleashing their brass to the crowd who ate it up when they weren’t dodging instruments in their faces. JJ Grey and Mofro put on an excellent performance, helping most of us forget the depths of winter outside.

Photos taken for music blog Reviler. Check it out!

JJ Grey & Mofro

JC Brooks and the Uptown Sound