WhyDontHipstersDance: Concerts

Showing posts with label Concerts. Show all posts

8/11/11

Bouncin' Round The Room

After a weekend at The Gorge, Phish made history and played at the Hollywood Bowl for the first time on Monday night. And what an amazing venue! Behind the pit, there are several "boxes," which are gated 4-seater sections--genius, intimate and plenty of room to noodle dance.

Another first--their cover of Paul Simon's "50 Ways To Leave Your Lover."
Phish spent the last two nights in Tahoe, covering Elton John's "Rocket Man" and Zeppelin's "Good Times, Bad Times." I will happily be at their next show in San Fran this Friday for the Outside Lands Festival. The Summer Tour continues in Chicago & ends in Colorado over Labor Day weekend.

I thought it would be impossible to find some fashionable ladies amidst the Cali hippies, but Phish fans aren't so dirty anymore...we're all grown up.

8/5/11

Weekend Bliss

We have ourselves a pretty epic music weekend.

Check out the live Lolla webcast here.

At the moment I'm listening to Delta Spirit, and I'm looking forward to Foster The People, Two Door Cinema Club, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, and The Kills. Tomorrow we have Fitz & The Tantrums, Local Natives, and of course My Morning Jacket. And my favorites for Sunday are Cage The Elephant and Explosions In The Sky.

The Flaming Lips played Red Rocks in Colorado on Wed, followed by My Morning Jacket last night. I'm extremely jealous of anyone that made it...and I need to hear all about it...so spill people!

And finally, what is this beautiful place you ask? It's The Gorge in Washington State, where Phish will be playing 4 sets today and tomorrow.

And yes, I've shed numerous amounts of tears because of all this epic-ness I'm missing. At least I'll be drowning away my sorrows on the beach tomorrow at the US Open - Surf competition and a free Surfer Blood & MGMT concert!

So what did you choose to do?

GIVERS

I got to see these guys a few weeks back when they played Bowery Ballroom, and I haven't stopped listening to them since. If you haven't heard GIVERS' debut album (In Light) yet, you should totally check it out. It sounds like what Vampire Weekend would sound like if Ezra Koenig took as many mushrooms as the boys from Animal Collective.

Their whole aesthetic translates well live, with the band jumping around the stage like they're just messing around in their basement. I had the luxury of meeting the lead singer, Tiffany Lamson, after the show and I could see that the music was a complete reflection of her personality. She's sweet but doesn't take herself too seriously. In fact, when I complimented her voice she was like "What are you talking about? I sound like nails on a chalkboard!"

8/1/11

And I Hope You Like Jammin' Too

This weekend was heaven. But then again, it's hard not to have one of those in Cali.

Thursday started with a day playing frisbee at Manhattan Beach and ended with live music by the Santa Monica Pier. Every Thursday night throughout the Summer, the pier presents the 27th Annual Twilight Dance Series, which is free to the public and showcases a different genre of music every week while the sun sets. And how can you not take a ride on the roller coaster after?

Friday night I attended the X-Games followed by a stop at the infamous Dresden (you know that movie called Swingers), where Marty & Elayne have been playing since 1982. Squeeze your butt into one of the red leather booths and enjoy great drinks with good company & entertaining music (guest singers from the audience welcome)!

If you ever find yourself in Santa Barbara (preferably kidnapped, as I was) after a weekend of wine tasting, do not hesitate to stop by Cold Springs Tavern. Trust me on this one. This cozy, rustic cabin establishment nestled deep in the woods with a creek runnin' through it, has live music and mouth watering Tri-Tip steak sandwiches every Summer Sunday. Tom & Kenny, "America's Good Time Blues Ambassadors," are often found playing amidst the picnic tables, bloody marys, and the smell of bbq'ed steak. Tip: They like whiskey.

After a simple day in the woods, myself & present company drove straight to the Hollywood Bowl to hear Rita & Ziggy Marley. This was my first Bowl experience and it was beautiful!!! Listening to Bob Marley's iconic reggae jams by his family, under the stars, was a perfect way to end the weekend.

1/29/11

Recent NYC Shows: Florence & The Machine, Ghostland Observatory and Peter, Bjorn & John

Florence @ Irving with a few Gossip Girls in tow and drinks at the infamous Pete's Tavern, Ghostland @ Terminal "Hell" and PB&J @ The Rock Shop, my new favorite venue and just a mere 3 blocks from my abode; it's always fun running amuck in NYC and talking yourself into shows (thank you rock shop chick). It's also a riot when the Peter, Bjorn & John manager wants to take you to London with the band the next day because he likes the way you cheer.

12/9/10

Kings Of Leon - New Music Video, "Pyro"

Come Around Sundown just came out in October and I can't stop listening to it. It seems like these rockstars are never going to stop releasing short & sweet tracks that satiate my appetite, and although I will never tire of their earlier albums, this may just be their best one yet. Yet the question still nags at me, can this mainstream rock band hold an audience at a venue such as Madison Square Garden? Maybe if you were on the floor two weeks ago, but not in my section. Come on people, who sits at a KOL show?? Oh how I miss the days of Webster and Roseland, but I salute you boys in your success.

Check out the brand spankin' new video that my good friend's beau, Casey, directed. Rumor has it there's a KOL documentary in post production as we speak...

11/10/10

Austin City Limits, The Sessions

Oh Austin, the music capital of the country. I friggin' love this city, and somewhere in my future there's a ranch here with my name written all over it.

What has it been, 4 straight years at SXSW? This was my first ACL, and although the town was more chill, the crowd at Zilker park was 10K deeper than past years. That makes 60,000 kids.

It wouldn't be the same without stops at South Congress Cafe for migas, Joe's for Iced Turbos, and Stubbs for the best show of the weekend.

How cute is my friend Lauren's (co-founder of The Sessions) house?

CJ, co-founder of The Sessions

A quick stop at the festival Friday included Beach House, Amos Lee, Phish, and a new favorite, Angus & Julia Stone. Bummed I had to miss The Strokes.

Saturday morning started with a rooftop set featuring none other than Angus & Julia Stone--brother & sister duo from Australia--sure to be in your repertoire if they're not already.

Angus & Julia Stone

Kate & I: Groupies on set

The shoot was produced by friends (also our hosts for the weekend) The Sessions, a local company passionate about bringing artists together in downtown Austin for music, art, and up and coming talent.

Then off to the festival for Broken Bells, Temper Trap & holy CRAP Monsters of Folk. It was fate--I had to miss their only show in NYC earlier in the year, but was able to catch this two hour set, and probably their last. It was good to see you again Jim and M.

Monsters of Folk

The Foals

Everyone at Stubbs was taken aback by the Foals, who opened for The Black Keys
. Kate and I had a mission to get into this show and clearly we didn't fail. The trip was way too short--I look forward to coming back in March, Austin!

Angus' guitar case

11/7/10

An Ode To Phish

My Phish story begins one night in '98 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia MD, one concert among many that remains a part of the cloudy haze your high school memories soon become a part of. These are some of my most treasured memories, slowly opening my eyes and ears to the world of live music that would be a part of me for the rest of my life. It was all classic rock, and I remember the chill wind through my hair as I rode in convertibles and wranglers, gossiping excitedly with my girlfriends and looking forward to the high school crushes that were awaiting me on the venue fields. Some of my friends were avid Phish fans and would follow them around the east coast, and I only saw them once, in a distant memory.

That's all changed of course.

There's nothing quite like the psychedelic experience at a Phish show, and the friends you make along the way. I can't explain it, but it's toxic; sweet and addicting. If you like that sort of thing.

From the great camping at Alpine Valley, to the party bus at Merriweather, an unforgettable Festival 8, a Miami New Years, To-Hell-We-Rode, a rockin' Austin festival, rounding out a second Halloween in Atlantic City...this Phishing ride ends in my hometown for New Years Eve 2010 in New York City...or is it the end?

Shows 2 though 16