It took awhile for Consolers of the Lonely to really grab my attention, but once it sunk its teeth in me it just wouldn’t let go. The more I listened to the album, the more I imagined it in a live setting - a Jack White guitar solo here, a little jam there. To say I was excited to see these guys in concert and what they’d gin up would be an understatement. I expected there to be a good bit of buzz outside of the 9:30 Club on Tuesday, with it being the first of two sold out nights for the Raconteurs. Instead, there were a hell of a lot of people trying to unload tickets and not too many takers. Hmmmm, interesting.
I walked in as the Raconteurs took the stage and opened with “Consoler of the Lonely” and thought to myself that we were in for a night of craziness. Musically it was great, but it lacked the intensity I was expecting. I was truly surprised by the lack of solos and/or jams. Yeah they threw in a few twists and turns, but definitely not as much I expected. Maybe it was the feedback that the band was getting back from the crowd. Rumors have been floating around the blogosphere for awhile now that DC concert crowds are less than spectacular energy-wise. And I'm sure that can be a buzz-kill for performers. I must admit that I contribute to that bad rap as I’ve never been one to be-bop around much… or at all. What can I say, it’s just not my style and I figure it’s in everyone’s best interest if I defer to those that have actual rhythm. So with that being said, I guess I really can't bitch too much.
SETLIST (thanks to I am fuel)
Consolers of the Lonely
Hold Up
Level
Keep It Clean
Top Yourself
Switch and the Spur
You Don't Understand Me
Rich Kid Blues
Yellow Sun
Attention
Steady As She Goes
Blue Veins
ENCORE
Shades of Black
Intimate Secretary
The Stones Will Shout
Salute Your Solution
Carolina Drama
Stream the concert on NPR.
Read the concert review on The Washington Post.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Hooray Friday!
Slim pickings this week. Either that or I'm really lazy...
- DCFC frontman Ben Gibbard wrote an interesting essay for Paste Magazine while in Big Sur, CA. Some people just have a way with words and I envy the hell out of them. The LOML, "lol" LC and I are looking forward to catching them in concert next week (thankfully not at Nissan Pavilion). Thanks to RatBat Bear for the shot of K.
- DCFC frontman Ben Gibbard wrote an interesting essay for Paste Magazine while in Big Sur, CA. Some people just have a way with words and I envy the hell out of them. The LOML, "lol" LC and I are looking forward to catching them in concert next week (thankfully not at Nissan Pavilion). Thanks to RatBat Bear for the shot of K.
Monday, May 26, 2008
This week's late night TV lineup
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Monday - Stone Temple Pilots
Late Night w/Conan O'Brien
- Monday - Black Mountain
Last Call w/Carson Daly
- Monday - Lupe Fiasco
Late Show w/David Letterman
- Tuesday - The Roots
Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson
- Tuesday - Grand Archives
- Friday - Mike Doughty
Friday, May 23, 2008
Hooray Friday!
- New Beck kids! "Chemtrails" is the first single from his upcoming album. While I'm not a huge Beck fan, it sounds pretty solid.
- P-fork has a handy guide to this year's festivals. Yet another year of me not attending one of these. I'm thinking it ain't ever going to happen.
- Death Cab for Cutie performed "I Will Possess..." on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thanks to the Music Slut.
- If you haven't heard Attack & Release yet, you're missing out. The Black Keys swung through NPR studios and performed 3 songs for World Cafe. You can also check out their concert at the 9:30 Club on All Songs Considered - can't believe I missed it.
- More NPR goodness with Hot Chip on World Cafe. October can't come soon enough, when these cats roll through through DC again...
- P-fork has a handy guide to this year's festivals. Yet another year of me not attending one of these. I'm thinking it ain't ever going to happen.
- Death Cab for Cutie performed "I Will Possess..." on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Thanks to the Music Slut.
- If you haven't heard Attack & Release yet, you're missing out. The Black Keys swung through NPR studios and performed 3 songs for World Cafe. You can also check out their concert at the 9:30 Club on All Songs Considered - can't believe I missed it.
- More NPR goodness with Hot Chip on World Cafe. October can't come soon enough, when these cats roll through through DC again...
Monday, May 19, 2008
This week's late night TV lineup
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Wednesday - The Kooks
- Thursday - Death Cab for Cutie
- Friday - Neil Diamond
Late Night w/Conan O'Brien
- Monday - Devotchka
- Tuesday - Mates of State
- Wednesday - Atmosphere
Last Call w/Carson Daly
- Thursday - Ben Harper
Late Show w/David Letterman
- Thursday - The Republic Tigers
I remember the first time I...
Men's Health loves them some lists. In their May issue, they tackle some "virgin moments" for guys. While I haven't experienced all of these, they've pretty much hit the nail on the head with the ones I have. Here are some that I found both funny and true... see the full monty here.
- Your first paycheck. It gave you a one-two combination punch from the invisible hand of capitalism, the first being that yes, taxes suck. The second: This is not nearly enough dough. Both fueled your ambition to earn more zeros. And still should.
- The first time you fight the Man and win. Who knew that Tom over in the passport office had the power to renew yours on the spot? Goliath, when properly motivated, will cradle David in his big paw.
- Your first wedding as a groomsman. You looked your best, the free booze flowed, and you had that genuine pang of hope that someday you'd find the woman of your dreams--and that she might just be that hot bridesmaid dancing to "Baby Got Back."
- The first time you dump a girl. It took balls to walk away from free nooky. Maybe you're stronger than you think.
- The first time you're picked last. First thought: I suck. Second: I'll show them. That mojo can last a lifetime.
- Your first medical scare. Next time you're in the drive-thru or at the gym, remember that panic.
- The first time you talk your way out of a ticket. It teaches you that most cops are just trying to avoid pulling your ass out of yet another bloody wreck, and makes you accelerate more attentively next time. You just don't know what might be around that corner, do you?
- The first time you stay out all night and see the sunrise. Freedom. Hope. Endless possibilities. Attack every dawn with that mix of surprise, awe, and optimism.
- The first time you walk away from an animal pleasure -- the fourth pitcher, the available wench. It's an indication that your cerebral cortex has finally taken over from your lizard brain. Now you can pursue a life, rather than merely live it.
- The first time you ask your kid for advice. He'll be more likely to take your counsel if he's also sharing, so give him some choice research projects: Find the next car, the right home-theater setup, the smart college.
- The first time you realize that dropping a compliment can motivate change more effectively than issuing a command. The breadcrumb trail works better than the whiplash.
- Your first paycheck. It gave you a one-two combination punch from the invisible hand of capitalism, the first being that yes, taxes suck. The second: This is not nearly enough dough. Both fueled your ambition to earn more zeros. And still should.
- The first time you fight the Man and win. Who knew that Tom over in the passport office had the power to renew yours on the spot? Goliath, when properly motivated, will cradle David in his big paw.
- Your first wedding as a groomsman. You looked your best, the free booze flowed, and you had that genuine pang of hope that someday you'd find the woman of your dreams--and that she might just be that hot bridesmaid dancing to "Baby Got Back."
- The first time you dump a girl. It took balls to walk away from free nooky. Maybe you're stronger than you think.
- The first time you're picked last. First thought: I suck. Second: I'll show them. That mojo can last a lifetime.
- Your first medical scare. Next time you're in the drive-thru or at the gym, remember that panic.
- The first time you talk your way out of a ticket. It teaches you that most cops are just trying to avoid pulling your ass out of yet another bloody wreck, and makes you accelerate more attentively next time. You just don't know what might be around that corner, do you?
- The first time you stay out all night and see the sunrise. Freedom. Hope. Endless possibilities. Attack every dawn with that mix of surprise, awe, and optimism.
- The first time you walk away from an animal pleasure -- the fourth pitcher, the available wench. It's an indication that your cerebral cortex has finally taken over from your lizard brain. Now you can pursue a life, rather than merely live it.
- The first time you ask your kid for advice. He'll be more likely to take your counsel if he's also sharing, so give him some choice research projects: Find the next car, the right home-theater setup, the smart college.
- The first time you realize that dropping a compliment can motivate change more effectively than issuing a command. The breadcrumb trail works better than the whiplash.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Hooray Friday!
- More fallout from the Radiohead concert at Nissan Pavilion. From the band's choice of venue to Live Nation's handling of the situation... I'm sure nothing will come out of it, but you never know. Thanks to Metro D and P-fork.
- Okkervil River stopped by WOXY and broke out a new tune, "Lost Coastlines" and dusted off some older ones. Thanks to Butter Team for the heads-up.
- If you missed MMJ on SNL last weekend, check out Metro D for the videos. I'm slowly getting into Evil Urges, but I think it's much different from their previous offering.
- The countdown to the Raconteurs concert at the 9:30 Club next Wednesday has officially begun. I have a feeling this is going to be mindblowing. Ultra 8201 has video of them performing "Consoler of the Lonely" on Later with Jools Holland. Hot shit!
- More late night clips. The Black Keys perform "Strange Times" on Conan. Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan.
- Okkervil River stopped by WOXY and broke out a new tune, "Lost Coastlines" and dusted off some older ones. Thanks to Butter Team for the heads-up.
- If you missed MMJ on SNL last weekend, check out Metro D for the videos. I'm slowly getting into Evil Urges, but I think it's much different from their previous offering.
- The countdown to the Raconteurs concert at the 9:30 Club next Wednesday has officially begun. I have a feeling this is going to be mindblowing. Ultra 8201 has video of them performing "Consoler of the Lonely" on Later with Jools Holland. Hot shit!
- More late night clips. The Black Keys perform "Strange Times" on Conan. Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
2 out of 3 ain't bad
All in all, I’d say the weekend was a success – although I would have changed the ending. But you can’t win ‘em all…
The LOML and I caught Flight of the Conchords on Friday night at Lisner Auditorium in DC. The concert was a great mix of music and banter – almost like watching the show, but with just Bret and Jemaine. Arj Barker (who plays Dave on the show) opened for them and did a decent job of warming up the crowd. But everyone was there to see FoC, and the place went crazy when they took the stage. I was surprised how long then played – about 1 ½ hours with 2 encores – especially considering that they had a late show scheduled for 10pm.
Right after the concert, I headed for PA to meet up with the fellas – arriving around 1am. Luckily they were still coherent and had a few left in them when I got there. The rain was coming down pretty good in the morning, which allowed us to get a few extra hours of sleep before heading out on the boat. I think I was the only one who didn’t catch a damn thing, but I’m okay with that. My purpose of going was to booze and bullshit, and I definitely did a bit of both.
With the weekend rolling along just swimmingly, I decided to take my chances and head out to the nexus of hell (aka Nissan Pavilion) to see Radiohead on Sunday night. The rain had really started to come down and from the looks of craigslist, mucho people were bailing and attempting to unload their tickets. My thought was that it might thin out the traffic a bit… and that thought couldn’t have been more wrong. After two hours on the road, being detoured by the po-po a few times, and having no idea how close I was to Nissan, I decided to call it quits and head back to the house. A check of the Washington Post website (blog, article) the next morning confirmed that it was definitely the right decision. I’ve said it before, but I truly mean it this time – I will never go to Nissan Pavilion again!
The LOML and I caught Flight of the Conchords on Friday night at Lisner Auditorium in DC. The concert was a great mix of music and banter – almost like watching the show, but with just Bret and Jemaine. Arj Barker (who plays Dave on the show) opened for them and did a decent job of warming up the crowd. But everyone was there to see FoC, and the place went crazy when they took the stage. I was surprised how long then played – about 1 ½ hours with 2 encores – especially considering that they had a late show scheduled for 10pm.
Right after the concert, I headed for PA to meet up with the fellas – arriving around 1am. Luckily they were still coherent and had a few left in them when I got there. The rain was coming down pretty good in the morning, which allowed us to get a few extra hours of sleep before heading out on the boat. I think I was the only one who didn’t catch a damn thing, but I’m okay with that. My purpose of going was to booze and bullshit, and I definitely did a bit of both.
With the weekend rolling along just swimmingly, I decided to take my chances and head out to the nexus of hell (aka Nissan Pavilion) to see Radiohead on Sunday night. The rain had really started to come down and from the looks of craigslist, mucho people were bailing and attempting to unload their tickets. My thought was that it might thin out the traffic a bit… and that thought couldn’t have been more wrong. After two hours on the road, being detoured by the po-po a few times, and having no idea how close I was to Nissan, I decided to call it quits and head back to the house. A check of the Washington Post website (blog, article) the next morning confirmed that it was definitely the right decision. I’ve said it before, but I truly mean it this time – I will never go to Nissan Pavilion again!
Monday, May 12, 2008
This week's late night TV lineup
Tonight Show w/Jay Leno
- Wednesday - Kate Nash
Late Night w/Conan O'Brien
- Wednesday - The Black Keys
- Thursday - MGMT
- Friday - Everest
Last Call w/Carson Daly
- Thursday - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
- Friday - Kate Nash
Late Show w/David Letterman
- Tuesday - Death Cab for Cutie
Friday, May 9, 2008
Gone Fishin'
Busy weekend planned. Tonight the LOML and I are headed to see the Flight of the Conchords in DC. All reviews I've seen from recent concerts lead me to believe that it's going to be a solid one. Immediately afterwards, I'm off to Raystown Lake in PA to fish for the first time in probably 20 years (I hear there's going to be beer there as well). Should arrive in the wee hours of the AM... hopefully the fellas will still be coherent when I get there. I'll be back in the DC area early Sunday afternoon, but am heading out to the dreaded Nissan Pavilion for the Radiohead concert that night. I'm already dreading Monday morning...
Hooray Friday - down and dirty style!
- Acoustic Artic Monkeys over on Butter Team.
- Calico covers Radiohead on MOKB.
- Acoustic Hot Chip from BBC Live Lounge on I am fuel.
- The Black Keys cover Captain Beefheart on I am fuel.
- New Weezer tracks on Ultra 8201.
- Duffy covers Hot Chip on Ultra 8201.
- Looking for info on the Radiohead tour? Ultra 8201 with the triple shot.
- NIN has released The Slip and it's available for free on their website.
- Don't forget, MMJ is on Saturday Night Live this week.
- Calico covers Radiohead on MOKB.
- Acoustic Hot Chip from BBC Live Lounge on I am fuel.
- The Black Keys cover Captain Beefheart on I am fuel.
- New Weezer tracks on Ultra 8201.
- Duffy covers Hot Chip on Ultra 8201.
- Looking for info on the Radiohead tour? Ultra 8201 with the triple shot.
- NIN has released The Slip and it's available for free on their website.
- Don't forget, MMJ is on Saturday Night Live this week.
Get your tour dates here!
Some good ones coming up. High on my list are MMJ at Constitution Hall and Nick Cave at the 9:30. No love for DC from Wolf Parade... bummer.
- My Morning Jacket
- Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
- Coldplay
- The Helio Sequence
- Modest Mouse (dates added)
- Fleet Foxes (dates added)
- Bloc Party
- Death Cab for Cutie
- Wolf Parade
- Boris
- Liars (dates added)
- Beck
Festivals
- Virgin Mobile (MD)
- Pitchfork (Chi-town)
Monday, May 5, 2008
This week's late night TV lineup
Tonight Show w/Jay Leno
- Tuesday - KT Tunstall
Late Night w/Conan O'Brien
- Tuesday - Galactic
- Wednesday - The Duke Spirit
Last Call w/Carson Daly
- Tuesday - Your Vegas
- Thursday - The Heavy
- Friday - Ben Harper
Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson
- Wednesday - Mike Doughty
Doors closing
This is where I accidentally pulled the switcheroo on RatBat Bear this weekend. Coming back from the ballgame, I originally told him that this was the stop we wanted to get off… before realizing that I had my head up my arse, but unfortunately after the metro doors had already started closing. We were able to pull the Bear’s trusty sidekick back on to the metro, but were forced to leave him on the field of battle… alone. And for those of you familiar to DC, this is not the best place to be when you don’t know where you are.All ended well as he was able to make his way to the next station where we were waiting for him – and he didn’t slug me which is always a good thing.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Hooray Friday!
- Coachella reviews are in at... I am fuel (Part 1, 2), Stereogum (Fri, Sat, Sun), and Reuters. In other Coachella news, Roger Waters' pig has been found. Thanks to Jude and LBJ for their crack-reporting.
- Death Cab for Cutie recorded six songs for Daytrotter which includes a few from their upcoming release Narrow Stairs, out May 13th.
- Have you downloaded your free copy of Coldplay's new song, Violet Hill? Apparently 600,000 did in the first 24 hours. While I have listened to it, I was not one of them. Sounds a little edgier than their recent stuff which, in my opinion, is a good thing.
- The Foals stopped by MPR to shoot the shit and hit us with a few songs.
- Death Cab for Cutie recorded six songs for Daytrotter which includes a few from their upcoming release Narrow Stairs, out May 13th.
- Have you downloaded your free copy of Coldplay's new song, Violet Hill? Apparently 600,000 did in the first 24 hours. While I have listened to it, I was not one of them. Sounds a little edgier than their recent stuff which, in my opinion, is a good thing.
- The Foals stopped by MPR to shoot the shit and hit us with a few songs.
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