Is it me, or is the music your parents listened to when you were growing up really polarizing? I either love it or I hate it! Thankfully, when it comes to the tunes of Creedence Clearwater Revival, my dad and I never disagree. In fact, the first time he showed me the photo of lead singer John Fogerty and the crowd from inside his vinyl copy of CCR’s Pendulum album, it took me less than thirty seconds to find his face near the front of the crowd. Naturally, when I heard that Fogerty was playing all his best at UC Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, I could think of no one I’d enjoy the evening with more than my dad. And tonight, that’s exactly what we did. Continue reading “Show Review: John Fogerty at Berkeley’s Greek Theatre, 10/12/2013”
J Leto: “I’m no Jesus. Neither are you, my friend…”
In the years since I became a 30 Seconds to Mars fan, it’s been a bittersweet ride. The first time I ever saw them live was two and a half years ago, at this very same venue. As you can see from that review, I was ready to let Jared Leto himself baptize me into the “cult of Mars.” I also said regularly that I’d be happy to inject the band’s music into my veins if I could just figure out how. And then I took my best friend to see them, where we had a little issue with front man Leto, and ever since, I haven’t quite felt the same about the band. Frankly, I’m not made of whatever that stuff is that allows a person to be a fan of someone they dislike as a person. I’m just not. For two years, I’ve tried to convince myself that maybe that was just a bad moment, and Jared really is who I want him to be: a fantastic actor with an amazing voice and musical talent, and hopefully even a decent human being to boot. So yes: I couldn’t wait to see Mars again Friday night when they came back to SJSU’s Event Center, and try to make up my mind once and for all. (And it has to be said that the band’s most recent album, LOVE LUST FAITH + DREAMS, is nearly as good as the one before it, the epic This is War. It certainly couldn’t hurt my chances of enjoying my evening that I had several new favorite songs I expected to hear…)
Fiona Apple & Blake Mills played anything they wanted at Zellerbach Hall
Fiona Apple isn’t interested in how anyone thinks she looks. I know because when I found myself back on my alma mater’s campus at Zellerbach Hall earlier this evening, she said she was on “the tip of ‘don’t fuck with people for how they look.'” Whether this is because she recently asked security to remove an audience member in Portland for heckling her appearance, or because she’s heard controversy over her waif-like physique since her “Criminal” video circa 1996, I don’t know. What I do know, though, is that none of that matters much to me. I didn’t go out this evening to gawk at a skinny woman, nor to speculate on why she’s thin. I went to hear her sing, because she’s a strange, dark little songbird that sings a haunted melody, and I wanted to experience it live. I didn’t know of Blake Mills, with whom Apple shared the stage, but I liked that they chose to call this tour “Anything We Want” after her song of the same name, and I went ready to see just what it was they wanted. Continue reading “Show Review: Fiona Apple and Blake Mills at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, 10/8/2013”
In 1993, I was introduced to the music of Depeche Mode by a girl who lived across the hall from me at boarding school. Of course I was already familiar with hits “People are People,” “Strangelove,” “Enjoy the Silence,” and the phenomenal “Personal Jesus.” It was this friend’s influence, however, that led me to fall for what’s still my favorite Depeche Mode song today: “Somebody.” Sure, it’s easy for a 14-year-old girl to love a wistful song, but twenty years later I still adore it (almost thirty years after it was released). And I know, it might be such an obscure favorite that I wouldn’t hear it live, but I didn’t really care: I knew better than to pass up a ticket to see such an iconic band when given the chance. And so I made the trek down to Shoreline Amphitheatre last night to catch their Delta Machine tour (named for the recent album of the same name) – a journey which turned out to take me four hours from home. (Twice what it should be, thanks to an insane parking situation at the venue that will likely keep me from going there any time I can avoid it!)
Frontman Andrew’s vocals are unbelievable live – better than on record.
After a three-and-a-half-year hiatus, Fall Out Boy is back. More importantly, they’re on a mission: they’ve come to Save Rock and Roll, and I for one am grateful. While I’m admittedly not intimately familiar with this band’s discography, singles like “Dance, Dance,” “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” and especially this year’s smash “My Songs Know What You Did in The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)” are too fantastic to resist. As soon as I got word that they had scheduled a show at San Francisco’s temporary America’s Cup Pavilion, I requested to cover them. How could I not? I knew it promised to be an amazing Saturday night on the waterfront! Better yet, it wasn’t even until the night of the show that I found out that Panic! at the Disco were set to open, alongside a band I’d not heard of, Twenty One Pilots. Continue reading “Show Review: Fall Out Boy with Panic! at the Disco and Twenty-One Pilots at America’s Cup Pavilion, 9/21/2013”
Color Me Badd “2.0” (L to R: Corey Cross, Kevin Thornton & Mark Calderon)
Remember Color Me Badd? They were on an episode of Beverly Hills, 90210 (helping the cast teach viewers Stalker 101, as I recall), and had a handful of hits like “I Adore Mi Amor,” “All 4 Love,” and the delicious earworm that was “I Wanna Sex You Up.” Who could resist a chance to see them back together again, right here in our glorious Bay Area? Not me! I’m not usually one to pass up such opportunities for fun nights out. (Truth: I’ve never gotten over my jealousy of editor Gordon’s experience at Bel Biv Devoe several years ago. I knew this might be my turn for such a show.) So when Friday rolled around, I roped in a girlfriend & made plans to head to Yoshi’s Oakland for a night of good times with tunes I haven’t heard in ages, but couldn’t wait to hear live!
Imagine Dragons were all I, um, imagined. (And more!)
When Imagine Dragons‘ breakthrough hit “It’s Time” first started to climb the charts late last summer, its lyrics about never changing who you are immediately hit home for me. Before long, it had become my anthem for a tumultuous 2012. Over the course of the year that followed, I downloaded Night Visions, became a full-fledged fan, and made every reasonable attempt to see the band live when they came my way. Unfortunately, a free evening and the opportunity could not be found on the same night. Until now… Thankfully, after much sold out tour success, the band agreed to perform at summer festivals across the country, including LAUNCH Festival, in Downtown Sacramento. Continue reading “Show Review: Imagine Dragons at LAUNCH x Music Festival Sacramento, 9/8/2013”
Outside Lands 2013 may have been my favorite OSL yet. It was my favorite line up so far, and the weather was amazing. It never got too cold, nor did it get too hot. Also, I got to see two legendary, groundbreaking musicians that essentially rewrote how we listen to music. Not a bad way to enjoy a day in the park…
John Mayer channels Jimi Hendrix with a head scarf and a guitar
Ladies and gentlemen, the John Mayer of old is back. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you probably know why I say this. Either way, I’ll start (briefly) from the beginning anyway. Mr. Mayer & I go way back: I was first introduced to his music just before his breakthrough hit “No Such Thing” exploded (circa Inside Wants Out, 2001-ish), and was immediately hooked. His fame continued to grow over the years. I didn’t notice at first, but somehow the seemingly almost shy, sweet, clever lyricist with an unusual tone and stellar guitar skills had become unrecognizable. He seemed to have bought into his own celebrity, and even if I’d have wanted to, I couldn’t have defended friends who insisted he’d become the ultimate “douche.” It didn’t keep me from listening, but it made me sad nonetheless. And then, miraculously, in 2010, he was somehow alerted to this drastic change in himself. Abruptly quitting Twitter, John took a hiatus to get back to himself. Then he lost his voice, which threatened the future of his career, though in the end it finally healed. Last year finally brought us the delicious folk/country-rock Born and Raised, and Wednesday ended my unintentional John Mayer hiatus as I finally had the chance to see him live for the first time in the better part of a decade, at Wheatland’s Sleep Train Amphitheatre, with recent American Idol winner Phillip Phillips in support. Continue reading “Show Review: John Mayer with Phillip Phillips at Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 7/24/2013”
Thanks to Daniel Gluskoter (dgpics.com) for the great Crows pics!
Imagine a terrible day: you’re sick. You’ve been fighting with one of your best friends all day. You’re late to an important appointment because traffic is insane, and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it. Said lateness makes you miss a fantastic opportunity, so you’re even more upset than you already were. Oh, and it’s chilly outside, with the wind picking up. Your saving grace: you’re seeing two awesome bands that night. Do Counting Crows and The Wallflowers have the superpowers necessary to turn your whole day around, and end it on a bright note? I showed up last Thursday evening at America’s Cup Pavilion to find out. Continue reading “Show Review: Counting Crows with the Wallflowers at America’s Cup Pavilion, 7/18/2013”
