Gig Report - Glasvegas Live In Seattle 2011

NOTE: Anyone finding this post seeking info on the Glasvegas show performed in Seattle on Feb. 28, 2014...check out my review of that gig HERE.
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After more than two years, this past weekend Glasvegas returned to Seattle for a live gig. In the intervening 26 months, this band from Scotland toured itself around the world and nearly to extinction, took a break, replaced its drummer, moved to L.A., recorded a new album and now are back to touring.

See my review of the band's previous shows in Seattle HERE (April 2009) and HERE (January 2009).

On the same night that U2 played to a football stadium sized crowd across town, Glasvegas took the stage in the intimate setting of the storied Seattle club known back in the day as Moe's Mo' Rockin' Cafe'- and now known as Neumos (get it?) - to what I would call about a 2/3 full house. And this suited me just fine. I'd much rather be at a gig where I can be really close up to a good band for less than $20. And hey, as much as I like U2 - we saw their 360 Tour up in Vancouver back in 2009 - unless you're willing to literally pay thousands of dollars to get close to the stage, you might as well be watching it on TV or DVD.

Anyway, I've been anticipating this Glasvegas gig for a while. I really enjoyed their previous two outings in Seattle, and I've listened to their new disc plenty since it came out earlier this spring and appreciate some of the changes from their first record. Good stuff and the band is definitely one of my modern favorites.

You can read my review of Euphoric Heartbreak by clicking HERE. You can also see pictures of the June 2011 gig near in my set of rock pictures HERE on Flickr.

Before the show, our little group sat down for a bite to eat at nearby Oddfellows. Aside from a wonderful meal, we also met the drummer from Glasvegas, Jonna Lofgren, as she happened in to pick up a to-go order. We said hello, thanked her and Glasvegas for coming to Seattle and a engaged in a little other banter and then she was off. A nice person.
(Left: Glasvegas on stage in Seattle)

After a round of pre-gig drinks in the adjacent bar as the opening bands played their sets, our group headed into the venue to await the main event.

Stationed very close to the stage, we were in perfect position to see the band stroll out under the atmospheric tones of the opening song from their new album Euphoric Heartbreak called Pain Pain Never Again. The as-expected lineup consisted of singer and main man James Allan all in white attire and shades, guitarist Rab Allan in black, bassist Paul Donoghue in black and new drummer Lofgren at the back of the stage behind her stand up drum kit wearing...you guessed it...all black. After a few words thanking the crowd for being there, the band burst into the song The World Is Yours for a high energy start to things. We were now officially rocking.

Glasvegas proceeded to run through an excellent set of songs from their new album and their debut - with Geraldine, Euphoria Take My Hand, Lots Sometimes and Shine Like Stars as highlights for me. The sound system seemed dialed in well to my ears. Lets put it this way, I had no problem hearing each instrument and Allan's voice. No one of them overpowered the other. And, at least for me, it wasn't too loud that my ears rang later. That's pretty good.

In terms of performance, the previous two times I've seen Glasvegas, while impressed, I felt there was just a little something missing...a little spark or extra dose of energy...that kept them from really blowing the crowd away. Sure, good shows, but...something. Not this time. Allan and gang were on their game big time. Lots of energy was coming off the stage as Allan enthusiastically belted out his songs, the guitarist and bassist moved around the stage and the drummer hit the skins hard while moving around behind the kit. This was Glasvegas in "full go" form. Also present this time around was a healthy set of talk to and with the crowd. I like a band that is confident enough and energetic enough to talk with the crowd, and there was no lack of interaction this night. So, between the excellent songs and the now equally impressive performance of them, this easily takes the cake as the best of the three shows I've seen this band perform. (At right: Rab Allan of Glasvegas)

Beyond the general performance, there were several stand out moments in my book:

• One was when Allan said a few words about being in Seattle, referenced Nirvana and then began to sing Come As You Are before ultimately breaking into a scorching version of their own song Euphoria Take My Hand. You can see the Come As You Are section and lead into the next song on video by clicking HERE. (Not a video I took, someone else did.)
• Another was following the encore when Allan admitted they had accidental skipped their song Go Square Go in the main set, joked around with his cousin and guitar player and then struck into the high energy song to make sure everyone got what they wanted. As always with this song, the coda or ending repeat phrase was shouted by the entire crowd. If you don't know what I'm talking about, well, check out the song.
• When they came back out for the encore, the two Allan's took the stage first and did a stripped down version of their song about the sudden and tragic loss of a child called Flowers and Football Tops - featuring only keyboards and vocal. Video of that performance HERE.
• At one point the guy standing next to me yelled out that he had left the U2 show across town to come see Glasvegas. Aside from the fact that this was practically impossible given the time it would take to get from that venue to the one we were in, as well as the fact that the guy saying this was in full Vancouver Canucks gear (giving away that he had really just been watching the Stanley Cup finals nearby)...the comment did inspire James Allan to talk a bit about U2 - all very complimentary and calling them all "very nice guys." To those who don't know, Glasvegas was an opening band for some of the European dates for the U2 360 tour last year and got to know them at that time. Anyway, somebody from the crowd must have asked if James or Rab were "good guys," because Rab, with a laugh, said something like, "oh, yeah, he's a good guy (pointing to James), but I'm just a dick." James agreed, again with a laugh.
• James also informed the crowd that the woman selling the band's merch at the side of the stage was none other than "Geraldine" from their song by that same name. Pointing to the merch table, he said something along the lines of, "over there is Geraldine. When I was unemployed, she helped me get a job. You may recognize her in our next song." (Below: James Allan of Glasvegas)

At any rate, as mentioned, there was a lot of talk from the stage and I liked it. My recollection of the set list was as follows....

Intro
Pain Pain, Never Again
Set
The World Is Yours
You
It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry
Shine Like Stars
Whatever Hurts You Through The Night
Lonesome Swan
Come As You Are...into Euphoria, Take My Hand
Geraldine
Ice Cream Van - caught on video HERE
Encore
Flowers And Football Tops
Go Square Go
S.A.D. Light
Lots Sometimes
Daddy's Gone

In the end, this was a top show for me. Here's hoping it isn't two years again before this band is back in Seattle. And for all of you who went to U2, I am sure you had a good time reliving past glories with 60,000 of your "closest friends." We did back in 2009 when we saw them. But, on this night, I am pleased to say our crew went to go see the present and future of really good rock and roll in the form of Glasvegas.


NOTE: Pictures displayed in this post were taken by Marc Osborn and not authorized for any use.

British Sea Power Plays Seattle - A Review

I went to see British Sea Power at Neumo's in Seattle on April 2. This is a band I've followed for a few years now primarily based on the strength of two singles (Carrion, Remember Me) and two albums (Do You Like Rock Music? and Vallhalla Dancehall). However, I've never seen them live. So, when I saw they were coming I jumped at the chance.

To use a cliche, I'd call British Sea Power "indie rock." But I would also say that they are not quite your run of the mill band with run of the mill indie rock songs. Lets start with the lineup. Yes, there are a couple guitars, bass and drum. But add in keyboards and a full time violin player to the mix and things start to get interesting. And their lyrics tend to be better and more thought provoking than most rock bands. "I'm a fan of the local library, I just read a book but that's another story." Or, "I wish protesting  was sexy on a Saturday night." Just a couple examples. And I would say their creative use of foliage on stage is not something I've seen before either.

Above: British Sea Power on stage in Seattle at Neumo's on April 2, 2011. Picture by Marc Osborn.

Anyway, the band came on to a 2/3 full venue and quickly hit their stride with a few of their better know tunes and graduated on to some deeper cuts and circled back to play some hits. To me, musically, this was a good show. It was loud for sure, but vocals were understandable and the music made an emotional impact.

Beyond the songs and sound, another set of things I like to use as criteria in judging a show is a band's effort, interest and interaction with the audience. British Sea Power scored nicely on effort and clearly they were delivering a heartfelt performance. So, good there. However, they were not too talkative or interactive with the audience. So, not as good on that.

You can sample one song from the gig on video HERE. The song proper starts about 1 minute into the video.

With tickets at a mere $15, this was a no brainier show to go to, and my expectations were met...not to mention again seeing a band in a small setting that would fill a large venue in the UK. So, thanks British Sea Power for visiting Seattle and putting on a quality show.

Right: More British Sea Power in Seattle. Picture by Marc Osborn.

This was a good, solid and fun show. Was it the greatest gig I've ever seen? No. But, here's the main point...it was compelling to me because it proved anew to me that fresh, interesting and authentic rock and roll is still being created and performed by artists who are 100% committed. This is something lacking in today's general music scene I think. And of course the other thing that's great about gigs like this is that you can see a quality band for cheap and up close and personal...really cool. Hey, life is about getting out there and living a little. While you can't mistake going to gigs for the most profound things in life, doing so does add spice and punctuation to your normal routine...you know, gets you out of your sleep, eat, work, kids/gym, eat, sleep regimen.

NOTE: Use of the pictures in this post is not permitted for any purpose except by prior written permission by Marc Osborn.

PiL Rocks Seattle With Flamin' Show at the Showbox

Sometimes patience pays off. Sometimes heroes from another era still posses talent and fire in spades and can still deliver the goods better than anyone today. Sometimes the best music and performances are not by bands that sell millions of songs or even have a recording deal. Sometimes a singer does not need to be a singer to sound great. Sometimes authentic, rebellious, interesting and enjoyable music comes from unexpected places.

All of the above was proved anew this week as John Lydon and his band Public Image Limited stopped in Seattle for an incendiary show as part of their 2010 U.S. tour.

Know your PiL History

More on the gig in a second, but first a quick history lesson for those of you not familiar with PiL. You may know Lydon under another name - Johnny Rotten. Yes, the lead singer and lyric writer for the seminal and highly influential punk rock band the Sex Pistols. While the Pistols delivered a blistering, political attack and a DIY approach that influenced the formation of bands around the world, their heyday was played out by late 1978 as they broke up for a number of reasons that year.

At that point, Lydon re-took his real name and started a new band called Public Image Limited - or PiL for short. If the Pistols were rock and roll through a bright major chord buzz saw, PiL were rock and roll in a dark minor chord blender set to grind. Lydon was truly looking to do something completely different - for himself and for music. So followed three great and very cutting edge albums that accomplished just that - First Issue, Metal Box and Flowers of Romance.

For the second time in just a few years Lydon and a set of band mates again re-defined what new music is all about, again launching a wave of influence across music. The lineup of the group changed continually going forward into the 80s with Lydon as the lone constant. They also achieved more commercial success with songs like "Rise," "This is Not A Love Song" and "Seattle" in the mid-1980s.

By 1992 Lydon put PiL on hiatus and most of us thought we'd never hear from them again. Sure, he re-formed the Sex Pistols a few times in the 1990s and early 2000s for gigs, but nobody seriously thought we'd hear live PiL again. Surprise! In late 2009, bankrolled by Lydon's payday for his stint as TV spokesman for British Country Life Butter, he put PiL back together and on the road with a UK and now US tour. No record deal, no label support...just Lydon and band mates playing shows because they wanted to.

Seattle Gig

With that history, I was thunderstruck when I read that PiL was coming to Seattle. No questions asked, no doubt in my mind that I was going. I saw Lydon with the reformed Sex Pistols in 1996 when they played Bumbershoot in Seattle, but that was 14 years ago and in a big venue. Meanwhile, over the years the PiL cannon of songs really grew on me to become one of my favorites in my music collection. And, any chance to see John Lydon up close and personal with PiL is a no brainer in my book.

So, my buddy Paul and I checked out the show this past Tuesday at the Showbox at the Market in downtown Seattle. This is a small but nice venue with good acoustics. The gig also happened to be an "all ages" show, so management did not allow alcohol onto the show flow. Rather, if you wanted to have a few drinks with your PiL experience, you had to stay towards the back in the specified bar areas. Lydon noticed this during the show and admonished the crowd farther back for being "too elite" or something. He probably didn't realize the bar/under 21 situation. I'll give him a pass.

Ok, so...how was the gig? Flamin'. That's my answer. On fire. Lydon and his band were spot on, passionate, talented and engaging. You could feel the music and the message coming off the stage. This was not necessarily surprising given Lydon's history, but it was really welcome to hear him and the band so committed, so into it and sounding so good.

I would estimate the venue was about 80 percent full. This is a little disappointing considering how good this band is live and how influential they are. With no record label to flog ads and promote the gig, I thought the turn out was pretty good. I'd also estimate that the crowd was mostly in their 30s and 40s, with a few younger peeps smart enough to check it out.

Hitting the stage just after 9 p.m., a black-clad Lydon sporting a wildly spiky head of blond hair said hello to the audience, advised them not to jump on stage, offered that if respect was given to the band that respect would be given back...and then announced, "let the celebration begin!" And it did as the band jumped right into This Is Not A Love Song. Which it wasn't. But it was good. Real good.

Appetite whetted with that first song, I was really pleased that John then led the band through several all time classic PiL songs from their early career - Poptones, Tie Me To The Length Of That, Albatross, Death Disco and Flowers of Romance. Each of these sounded great...possibly even better than the recorded versions as the live, in-the-moment rock and roll treatment amped them up and made them drive as much as grind. A wicked cool balance that, well, was stunningly impressive to me. I'll give Death Disco the nod as best of this part of the set - just incredible.

As mentioned earlier, PiL has seen many lineups over the years, and none of the original members are in the band now. However, Lydon has clearly assembled a great live group, bringing in two musicians who played in PiL before - Lu Edmonds on a scorching guitar and other instruments, and drummer Bruce Smith. The four man team is rounded out by expert bassist Scott Firth.

Next the band tackled a series of songs from the album 9 sandwiched in between a pair of songs from Lydon's solo album, Psycho's Path. In order of performance, they were Psychopath, Warrior, USLS 1, Disappointed and Sun. To me the standouts were Warrior and Disappointed. These were tight performances from the more pop-oriented era of PiL's career and Lydon was particularly talkative to the audience introducing those tunes. For Warrior, he said that he was becoming a U.S. citizen and that soon this would be "my land" too - echoing a line from the song. He also advised the crowd to stand up for what they believed in and - I think - said something about how the Republican Party should be dismantled.

Among the many things I was instantly impressed about the band was the quality of Lydon's voice stood out to me. Never one to be called a classic rock singer, he has always relied on pure energy and guts to belt out his lyrics. This has served him well over the years as his is a truly unique voice in rock, but you wonder how a 54 year old guy is going to sound. Well, he sounded great through the entire show.

The home stretch of the main set was completed with performances of Memories from Metal Box, Bags from Album, Chant from Metal Box and Religion from First Issue. Again, wow. To me, Religion was just superb. Before the song started, Lydon called out to the sound man, Walter, at the back, "Oh Walter, give us more bass...more bass Walter!" Walter obliged. What followed was a blistering version of the anti-organized religion song, Religion. With all that's happening with the Catholic Church these days, not to mention the general rise in religious fervor here in the U.S. and other places in the world, this song is just as relevant, cutting and needed today as it was when it was written back in the late 70s. This gets my vote for song of the night.

At the close of Religion, Lydon thanked the crowd and said, "We'll be back in two minutes. Smoke break. Back in two minutes." And they were.

The show concluded with the performance of two of the best known PiL songs - Public Image, Rise - and then one of Lydon's biggest solo hits, Open Up. Delivering the goods right up to the last note, this seemed a perfect ending set for the show.

Paul and I couldn't have been more pleased - a long time music hero blowing away expectations by delivering a high quality set of music with a tight band in a small venue. And here's another thing...Lydon, this band and these songs sound as fresh, important and vital as they ever did and certainly more so than 95% of what passes for rock music today. To me, this was the big "ah ha" of my night.

Lydon has said in interviews leading into the tour that if goes well, this PiL lineup may record new music. If they do, I'm sure it'll be good and worth checking out. But, I am not sure it could top what we just saw this week.

You can view a clip from the show on YouTube - Lydon's opening comments and then This Is Not A Love Song HERE. But, I warn that the sound quality of the recording is not very good for the song as the PiL sound system blows out the microphones of whatever device the person recorded it on.

Photos taken by Marc Osborn at the PiL gig in Seattle on April 20, 2010

PiL logo taken from the the Johnny Loves Fuzztone Blogspot blog

Manic Street Preachers Play Seattle - A Review

As readers of this blog know, one of my favorite rock bands is a group called Manic Street Preachers. They’re huge in the UK and most the rest of the world, but not so much in the U.S.

As a result, they don’t play here very often. In fact, it’s been 10 years since the last time they ventured to the States to play gigs.

That is until this week.

Riding on a wave of success and critical acclaim for their most recent album titled Journal for Plague Lovers (read my review of that album and some background on the group by clicking here), this three piece band from Wales at long last decided it was time to come back to the USA and play some shows.

And where did the band pick to play their first US show in a decade? Yep, Seattle.

And so it was that last Monday – Sept. 21 – my buddy Paul and I went to see the band at Neumos on Capital Hill. (Below - Manic Street Preachers on stage in Seattle on Sept. 21, 2009. Photo by Marc Osborn.)

Naturally, our expectations were high and, I have to say, they were exceeded as the band threw down an exciting, impassioned and extremely entertaining set – all in a very small venue where you could get right up close. For those of you unfamiliar with the Manic Street Preacher’s sound, it’s rock and roll with the standard set up of guitar, bass, drum and a few effects. The band’s style has ranged from raging but melodic punk, epic and soaring rock, chilled art rock and a bunch of sounds in between...all with intelligent and thought provoking lyrics.

The other thing to know is that in their early years, the band had four members. In early 1995, their primary lyric writer and second guitarist, Richey Edwards, went missing. He’s never been found and is presumed dead - leaving surviving members James Dean Bradfield (vocals, guitar), Nicky Wire (bass, vocals) and Sean Moore (drums) to carry on. Journal for Plague lovers is the Manic’s ninth studio album and its first featuring all-Richey lyrics since that time.

But anyway, back to the show. Our evening started out as Paul and I walked past the venue and heard the band running through the sound check. As the song Peeled Apples boomed out beyond the walls of Neumos, we knew we were in for a good show.

Meeting James Dean Bradfield
Later, after we’d had a bite to eat, we were again walking near the venue in the warm late-summer evening on our way to a bar when we ran right into lead singer James Dean Bradfield. Yep. He was out on the street corner. So, I walked up to him and thanked him for coming to Seattle. After a hand shake he quickly asked, “What’s your name?” I thought this was a really great response and one that was instantly engaging. I mean, he could have easily said thanks and walked away. Instead, we introduced ourselves and he mentioned that it had been 10 years since they’d been to Seattle and that the band members were huge REM fans – and they know Peter Buck lives in the area. I mentioned to James that indeed Buck is still around and that he comes out to shows pretty regularly. I also mentioned that they were playing the same Seattle venue a decade later, and he asked what the name of it was back then. I told him it was called Areo.Space ten years ago. He said, “This place?” I confirmed. At that point, I just said thanks again and let him know we were looking forward to the show. James graciously said thanks and was on his way. The whole conversation was about a minute. So, was this short chance meeting some sort of serious intellectual exchange or bonding moment? No. But, it was great because James was approachable, nice and willing to talk. Sometimes when you meet people you admire in person, they disappoint. This was clearly not so this time. Thank you James for taking a minute to talk to us.

Pleased as punch to have met the lead singer for one of our favorite bands, Paul and I did then make it to the bar right next to Neumos. As we passed through the door we saw James again…this time snared by a few guys asking him to sign a bunch of records and other Manics items. In hindsight, I’m really glad I didn’t do that to him as that action tends to simply come across to the performer as “this is just about me getting something from you” rather than any other type of conversation you could have.

The Venue and Vibe
After some conversations at the bar with some cool guys from a band named Post Adolescence, we headed on into the main venue to get a spot for the show.

By my assessment, Neumos was more three-quarters full. Not sold out. While it was tightly packed near the stage, toward the back there was plenty of room. This must be a bit strange for the band because everywhere else in the world they play its in big stadiums or arenas…and that’s why this was an even more special gig. Great band, small venue, cheap ticket.

The crowd seemed to be people age 40 and under with the majority looking to be in their late 20s, early 30s…and a few of us geezers right at the 40 mark. As you might expect, the crowd was also majority male – but not dominantly.

The Show
Finally, the band came on stage to loud cheers looking ready to go. Bradfield was dressed in black and began the show with his white Gibson Les Paul, Wire sported a red glittery bass and wore a white jacket that he kept on the entire time - concealing what appeared to be an Elvis Presley t-shirt - and Sean Moore...well, you could barely see him, but it looked like he was wearing a black t-shirt with some soft of design on it. You can see more pictures I took at the show here and here.

The band quickly ripped into one of their older but best songs, Motorcycle Emptiness. The full set list is below:

Motorcycle Emptiness
No Surface All Feeling
Peeled Apples
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
La Tristessa Durera
Jackie Collins Existential Question Time
Let Robeson Sing
You Love Us
Everything Must Go
Faster
Take The Skinheads Bowling
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
Small Black Flowers (acoustic)
This is Yesterday (acoustic)
Send Away The Tigers
You Stole The Sun
All or Nothing into Motown Junk
Me And Stephen Hawking
Little Baby Nothing
This Joke Sport Severed
Design For Life

The sound system they set up was perhaps the best I’ve heard at Neumos as all instruments and vocals were clear and dialed in.

I was impressed with the diversity of the songs from their back-catalogue and that they played some of the best stuff off their latest album. For my expectations, this set really delivered with my favorites being Jackie Collins Existential Question Time, Peeled Apples and Faster. However, all songs were great. I like that they sprinkled in a few surprises like their cover of Take the Skinheads Bowling and the ode to singer/actor/athlete/activist Paul Robeson called Let Robeson Sing. I assume the later was a cheeky dig at the U.S. But, it’s a good song with intelligent lyrics. I liked that it was included.

In terms of performance, I have just say this…it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I cannot underscore this enough. This show had it all - talent aplenty, great songs, engaged, passionate and energy to burn. This band was by my observation really glad to be there and put on a great performance. James Dean Bradfield in particular delivered the goods with his powerful vocals, jumping around, spinning around and generally kicking ass. I was also glad that at one point near the beginning of the show, Bradfield announced that it had been 10 years since they’d been in Seattle and that the last time they played here the venue was called “Aero-Smith or something like that.” I had to laugh. I assumed he was going on our little exchange on the street…at least that’s what I’ll go ahead and believe.

Nicky Wire did something that I noticed in the show 10 years ago…he played almost the entire set with his eyes closed. I’m not sure if that’s a regular thing with him or if the small venue was the reason. But, he also jumped around and did his scissor kicks a few times and had a few words for the audience.

Details for Fans
For fans out there who might be wondering small details, here are some to report:

• After a few seconds of Your Love Alone…James stopped the band and said that “one thing about getting older – not old, but older – is a low tolerance for an out of tune guitar.” He then promptly swapped out his white Gibson for another guitar and re-started the song from the beginning.
• When introducing the song Faster, bassist Nicky Wire said that, “Richey never made it to Seattle, but his music did. He would have loved it here for all its beautiful pretentiousness.” After the song, Wire said, “I meant pretentiousness in a good way.”
• The Manics are selling t-shirts at the US gigs. The ones we saw were the Working Class Hero shirt and two slightly different black shirts – both with the cover art from Journal for Plague Lovers on them. While I like the cover art for the album, I’m not too keen on wearing it around on my chest. But that’s me.
• As mentioned, Nicky Wire did seem to be fully mobile and no longer suffering from his previous back problems.
• Drummer Sean Moore got quite a few shout outs during the show…more than I thought he would.
• There was not Manics stage backdrop art. Just a basic stage setup. In fact, the stage was so small that Moore really was pretty invisible as his drums were not on a riser (that I could see anyway).
• There were two other performers on stage with the band. A second guitarist and a keyboard player. Both were clearly part of the band (in other words not hidden in back or anything), but also clearly off to one side of the small stage.
• The concert closed with Bradfield announcing that “this is our last song tonight. It’s called Design for Life.” And with that followed with a note-perfect performance of that great tune. After their thank-yous and leaving the stage, the crowd cheered mightily for them to come back for a few more songs, but it was not to be. Normally, I might be disappointed in this. However, the Manics played about an hour and a half of great rock and roll – so, I’ll give them a break.

After the show, Paul and I went across the street for one last drink and to go over what we’d just witnessed. We summarized many of the points I’ve made above in this post and concluded that this one is right up there with the best we’d seen. I mean, in the end…when you get to see a band of this caliber that’s one of your all-time favorites in such a small venue with great sound and oh by the way meet the lead singer (and he’s cool)…well, it just doesn’t get any better than that.

Ears ringing, smiles on our faces and full of the knowledge that we’d just seen a truly unlikely but spectacular show…we headed home.

Two Pictures from the Social D Show

Here are two pictures I took at the recent Social Distortion show in Seattle.

Unlike previous times when I've seen this band, my buddy Sean and I stayed back from the mosh pit (getting a bit old for that you know), so these pictures are perhaps not all that great. But, they give you an idea of what it was like to be there.

Lead singer, lead guitar player, song writer and band leader Mike Ness is on stage in the middle of each of these.

Happy First Birthday To The Western Front Blog!

Ladies and gentlemen, The Western Front blog has just turned one year old.

Yep, one year of trying to entertain, share and have a good time online. I started the blog last April for a few reasons. Among them, I've spent the better part of 40 years soaking up information and experiences...helping form a lot of opinions and, hopefully, some useful knowledge to pass on. With that in mind, I just figured it's time to start putting something back out there instead of mostly just absorbing it.

Another reason was that in my job I am increasingly using online social media to communicate, and I figured that diving into blogging would help me better understand that world.

In any case, based on my experience so far, I'm going to keep going.

To celebrate this first anniversary, I've put together a "best of" set of articles from the 117 posts to The Western Front blog over the last 12 months. I've grouped these into the categories of Music, Politics, Travel/Food, Photography, Opinion/Observations and Movies. I hope you enjoy reading or re-visiting some of these posts...

MUSIC

• Bad Economy = Better Music?
• Glasvegas Concert Review
• 2008 Concert Reviews
• Five Albums You Should Get
• Three Songs You Should Check Out
• Creating A "Genesis-Neutral World"

POLITICS

• How I Know Obama's Plan Will Work
• Tea-Baggers: Hypocrites, Rubes or Both?
• Who Is To Blame For the Current Crisis?
• What You Can't See in Shanghai Is What You Can See at Wal-Mart and on Wall Street
• McCain Dusts Off "Socialist" Charge
• May the Best Perception Win
• Goodbye to the Worst U.S. President Ever

TRAVEL/FOOD

• The China Reports
• Party Time in Spain - April Fair
• Hot, Fresh NYC Restaurant Reviews

PHOTOGRAPHY

• A Link to My Flickr Photostream Sets
• The Seattle Times Runs One of My Photographs
• The Spookiest Picture We've Ever Seen
• Wine Pictures
• New Mexico Pictures
• Vietnam and Cambodia Pictures
• Educational Publisher to Use One of My Pictures

OPINION/OBSERVATIONS

• Of Football, Fans, the Flag and a Guy Named Tits
• It's Not A Sport If...
• Time for Pirate Radio Again?
• Is Pollution An Olympic Sport?
• There's An A-Hole In Every Crowd (Sometimes Two)
• 20 Things I Am Thankful For
• My Un-American Fourth of July
• The Passing of a Great Man
• Marc's 2008 Year In Review

MOVIES

• Get Milk
• Pre-Oscars Movie Reviews

Glasvegas Returns to Seattle - Concert Review

Rock band Glasvegas returned to Seattle Monday night for their second show in the city in the past three months. I've been keenly interested in this Glasgow, Scotland-based band for about a year - starting with their first single "Geraldine" and through the release of their first album, Glasvegas last fall. My review of the CD is here.

My above average attraction to this group is a direct result of their ability to write articulate, realistic and heart wrenching lyrics backed with a powerful sound that I feel is quite different, if not unique, in today's rock scene. I mean, who sings songs about social workers, the possibility of getting stabbed, the realization of one's "own cheating heart" being the problem in life, the loss of a father, the murder of a loved one, the beauty and purity of an ice cream van in our all too "F-ed up" world?
(Below: Glasvegas on stage at Nuemo's)

Nobody but Glasvegas. And who in today's scene is hip enough to have lyrics like that paired with music that rocks and much as it wails, rolls as much as it soars, and drives as much as it touches? Nobody but Glasvegas.

You are moved by these songs. At least in my opinion.

Which is why I gathered up some buddies and went to see their performance last January at Chop Suey in Seattle. My review of that gig is here.

Based on what we heard and saw at that concert, as well as meeting the band afterwards at a bar, I decided I wanted to see them when they around again - which luckily happened to be this past Monday at Neumo's in Seattle's Capital Hill neighborhood. Along for the ride this time were my buddies Sean and Levi. A set of pictures I took during the show are here.

Opening Act
As we drifted into Neumo's, the sounds of opening band Von Iva could be heard throbbing through the hallway. I have to say that this band was a pleasant surprise.

A three-woman outfit out of San Francisco, Von Iva features a singer who can really belt out bluesy-style rock - along with a powerful, hard-hitting drummer and a keyboardist who doubles as "guitar" and "bass" (among other instruments) by laying down thick, heavy and aggressive lines of thud/buzz sound. Sounds like a racket, right? Not so. Very cool and good to see a unconventional lineup. Anyway, the band impressed our little crew and I'd recommend checking them out live or on iTunes. (Right: Von Iva opens the show)
Questions Take Shape
After Von Iva wrapped up its set - and after talking to their lead singer for a moment - a few questions about Glasvegas began to form in my mind. Would a group that's been on the road non-stop for months put forth a genuine and compelling effort as they neared the end of their tour? Would singer James Allan's voice sound OK given how many shows he's performed so closely together? Would they perform and encore - something they glaringly omitted at their Chop Suey gig? Would we hear any new material?

The Crowd
At this point I also assessed the crowd. I estimate that on this Monday night, the club clocked in at about 80% full as there appeared to be empty space at the back of the main room while the rest of the floor and balcony were full up. In terms of who attended, it was about 70% guys, about 95% white and varying in age. I was impressed that a few men and women certainly older than my 39 years were plastered right up against the stage. I salute them and hope that I'm as hip in 10 to 15 years. Meanwhile, the youngins were in the house too. As I turned from the bar after buying my crew a round, a kid (to me a 21 year old is a kid) knocked into my arm and spilled a bit of one drink. He looked at me and said, "I'm sorry sir." Well, that made it official. I'm old. But, not too old to have a good time.

The Main Event
Recharged with a fresh beer and back in place near the stage, I watched as the lights dimmed again and a faint set of notes could be heard and then rose into a melodic noise as the band came on stage to cheers.

They quickly launched into their single, Geraldine. After that it was a steady run-through of most of the songs from their debut album, plus a couple off their Christmas-time CD, A Snowflake Fell (And It Felt Like a Kiss). Beyond Geraldine, the set included fan favorites Flowers & Football Tops, Daddy's Gone, Go Square Go, It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry and others. The PA system sounded right on the money. I've seen shows at Neumo's at which the mix proved horrible - making it hard to hear the singer or overpowering you with one instrument or another. Not so with this gig...and no ringing ears afterwards. I also thought the light show added to the ambiance, although the fake fog might have been a tad overdone.(Above: Glasvegas on stage at Neumo's in Seattle)

Questions Answered
So, how did the band do? Could they answer my questions through their performance?
In my estimation, Allan and Glasvegas performed each of their songs with decent yet not spectacular energy. Allan's voice sounded fine as he modulated between smoothly delivered verses and throat straining choruses. Meanwhile, guitarist Rab Allan put in the effort as he spun around, moved about the stage raising his guitar high and dropping it low all the while. The other two band members delivered solid if not overy flashy performances.

Also, James Allan was a bit more interactive with the crowd than he was at the January show when he mustered maybe one "thank you" at the end. While you'll never mistake him for a stage-front chatterbox, after shedding his leather jacket about a third of the way through Monday's gig he did thank the crowd several times. At the end of the show he made a point to shake hands with each guy within reach of the front of the stage and delivered polite kisses to the hands of the women.(Right: James Allan belts one out at Nuemo's in Seattle)

We did not hear any new material this time. While songs such as Fuck You It's Over (yep, that's the name of the song and it says it all), Ice Cream Van and Please Come Home made the set, those are previously released songs. So, nothing new - despite that I hear the band is working on songs for a follow up album.

The band did come back on for an encore. This was a glaring omission at their January show and it was good that after a few minutes of fans stomping feet and clapping that Glasvegas came back on stage to perform a few more songs - topped by Daddy's Gone. While I know there are other songs they could have performed, I think building in an encore section of their show proved a smart move and left the crowd pleased and wanting more.

Criticism
Not much from me, although the "arts editor" over at the Seattle Fine Arts Examiner was not too impressed with either Von Iva or Glasvegas. This just shows you that two people can see the exact same show and come to different conclusions. It happens. Usually the difference lies in what the expectations are. At any rate, I'll stake my observations on having seen Glasvegas twice within three months, meeting each member in person and the ability to compare and contrast their style with the many other good and poor rock performances I've seen in person going back to the mid-1980s.
Anyway, for me, I like a band that interacts a bit more with the audience - it just helps make more of a connection and adds to the experience. Given the subjects Glasvegas sings about, you might think they would say some more about the songs. It also might endear them more to fans over the long haul. As nice and approachable as the members of Glasvegas are in person, their on-stage personas don't seem to lend themselves to much interaction during the gig. This is a band on the way up, so their approach may be on purpose to create some sort of image, or it could just be honest shyness or personality. All this is not too big a deal to me. I've been to a lot of shows and seen all different types of performers. I realize that just because I want the band to talk to the crowd means they will.

The Big Sum Up
This was a good show - up and coming band, small venue, close to stage, quality sound, good support band, $20. What's not to like? Our three-man party had a great time. I'll continue to follow Glasvegas and check out their next offering. But, that might not be for a while as they are the opening band for U2 at a number of shows this summer. At any rate, you can currently get their CDs on iTunes and Amazon if you haven't heard them yet. And finally, if they ever come to Seattle again, I'll be looking for Glasvegas to up their game even more with some new songs, more interaction with he crowd and...who knows what else.

Glasvegas Live in Seattle - Pictures

Last night I attended the Glasvegas show in Seattle. 

I'm working up a review of the concert, but in the meantime you can see a short set of pictures I took during the show by clicking  - here.

Glasvegas live on stage - April 13 in Seattle

2008 Concerts Year-In-Review

OK, so it's down to the heart of the holidays. You've seen the family, opened the presents, eaten the meal, drunk the wine and taken a nap. At this point, you may start getting a bit bored or looking for an excuse not to have to spend even five more minutes with those "special" relatives. 

For a few moments respite to fill in the dull moments or to offer a handy excuse for a quick break from family time, below is a little slice of action from 2008 to keep you entertained...my year-in-concerts reviews. Happy holidays and enjoy!

Marc's 2008 Year-In-Concerts Holiday Review Special

2008 was not a banner year for concerts for the simple reason that I didn't go to very many. By my count, I went to only five. I like live music more than that, so I'll be shooting for more shows in 2009. Meanwhile, my wife Diane hit a few that she really wanted to go to as well.

With that said, here are show reviews for 2008:

Carbon/Silicon
A new group started by Mick Jones - the guitarist in The Clash who wrote and sang some of their great songs such as Train In Vain and Should I Stay or Should I Go. He also was the main force behind 80s and 90s dance/rock band Big Audio Dynamite. Anyway, starting a year or two ago, he and old buddy Tony James (founding member of punk band Generation X and also Sique, Sique Sputnik) got together and started Carbon/Silicon to record and tour. The band is basically a straight ahead rock band, but one with Mick-freaking-Jones as the guitarist and singer. This ensures intelligent lyrics, great guitar and a quality band. (Photo below from the Virgin Music Web site.)

And so it was when my friend Sean and I saw them at the very small Seattle venue of Chop Suey as the band toured to support its album, The Last Post. In my opinion, this is the best way to see a show - a major talent in a very small venue for cheap ($20/ticket). Not only was it exciting for me to see one of my rock heroes up close and personal in a crowded little club, but the show was really a blast with the band clearly enjoying themselves while delivering a healthy dose of rock and roll.

As an added bonus, the opening act was Matt Pond PA. I'd heard of this band before, but never actually heard them. None the less, I was really impressed with their set - so much so that I promptly went out and bought their two most recent releases. I'd recommend you do too.

Finally, this show ranks up there for me all time because afterwards I actually met Mick Jones, shook his hand, chatted quickly and thanked him for the show.

RECOMMENDATION: Buy The Last Post CD and see this band if they come to your city. Also, buy the Several Arrows Later CD by Matt Pond.

Andrew Bird

Every summer, the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo holds a series of outdoor concerts featuring family-friendly artists. Since we live in walking distance to the zoo, we made plans with friends to see one of the shows. (Photo below from post by Kirstie Shanley on the blog Radio Free Chicago.)

As hundreds of sensible upper middle class white people settled in on the lawn and as their throng of rambunctious children ran around freaking out, Andrew Bird and his band diverted my attention away from the weirdness of this crowd to focus on his unique blend of folk, rock, country and - even - whistling. This guy is good, unique and passionate.

For these reasons, I give his part of the show a big thumbs up.

I don't remember who else played that evening. Guess that tells you something about the rest of the program.

RECOMMENDATION: Check out Bird on iTunes and find some of his tunes you like. See him in concert if he comes to your city.

Jesus & Mary Chain

I've been a 'Chain fan for a long time, but never seen the brothers Reid in concert. To put it bluntly, my friend Paul and I were really disappointed in this show. (Photo below taken by Chris at MusicSnobbery.)

The band underwhelmed with a "phone it in" performance at the warehouse-like venue of the Showbox SoDo.

No energy, no between song banter, no improvisation, no nothing. It was just the destinct sound of guys who - despite knowing that all they can do in this world to make any kind of money is tour their now old band- still couldn't be bothered.

What a waste.

It was such a bad show that I haven't listened to them on my iPod in the more than five months since the show.

RECOMMENDATION: Do not bother seeing this band live. Not worth it. However, do buy their Darklands CD. Very worth it.

Ray Davies

Less than a week after the crappy Jesus & Mary Chain show, Paul and I returned to the Showbox SoDo to hear Kinks-man Ray Davies in his mostly acoustic, some electric performance.

Wow! What a difference a few days makes. As Paul says, "this man is a rock star" and he delivered the goods with a mix of his classic Kinks-era tunes with his recent songs to a capacity crowd. He engaged with the adoring audience, telling stories and setting up songs. (Photo at left from Galstonbury Festival blog.)

The topper was near the end when he walked off stage and then sauntered back on with a full "electric" band and proceeded to just RIP into a blistering version of All of the Day and All of the Night...quickly followed by an equally incendiary You Really Got Me.

To say the least, this was a great show. Not only because of its inherent quality, but because it greatly exceeded my expectations.

It also helped put the poor Jesus & Mary Chain to rest.

Visit Ray's site here to get a taste.

RECOMMENDATION: See Ray in concert! Meanwhile, his output over the years is huge, so you'll have to do some homework. I'd suggest a best of the Kinks type collection to get started. 

The English Beat

We had not planned on attending this show, but we're mighty glad we did. The English Beat (known simply as The Beat in the UK) are a band that you may not recognize in name, but you know their songs if you had any musical awareness in the 1980s. A combination of rock, reggae and soul, the band's sound is typically referred to as "ska" and they were among the original wave of "two tone" ska bands to come out of England in the early 80s. (Note: two tone refers to the fact that these bands had black and white members.) Upon their breakup, some members formed the group General Public and others Fine Young Cannibals.

Some of The English Beat's hits included Mirror In the Bathroom, Save It For Later, Can't Get Used to Losing You, Too Nice to Talk To and others.

(Photo from Belly Up.)

Anyway, after a great meal at the bar of Matt's on the Market, Diane, Sean and I jammed ourselves into the packed-to-the-rafters Showbox At the Market and proceeded to revel in the Caribbean by way of London beats on a Thursday night with what appeared to be every white person between the age of 35-45 in Seattle. All the hits were played and a lot of dancing ensued. All-in-all it was perhaps the most joyous show of the year. 

Oh, did I mention it was a Thursday night? Right. Well, Thursday night turned into Friday morning before we were home, and for a guy who had to lead a meeting at 7 a.m. that very same morning. This proved to be...how shall I say...a challenge. I ain't 25 any more you know. But, sometimes you just have to throw down and deal with the concequences later. Which is exactly what I did.  All went well Friday, but it was an early evening that night.

RECOMMENDATION: See this band live if they come to your city - even if it's a weeknight. Check out their "best of" on iTunes...maybe start with the songs Mirror In the Bathroom and Save It For Later and go from there.

Diane on her own didn't do too poorly for herself on the concert front either in 2008. No recommendations from me (I wasn't at these), but just the report that she saw:

Madonna

Fulfilling a longstanding desire to see "Madge" in concert, Diane and a friend drove up to Vancouver, BC in Canada to see the show there.

Apparently, "M" has something against Seattle and no longer plays here.

Despite some hi-jinks with the tickets she bought via E-Bay (a warning to you all), Diane reports that it was a fantastic concert.

A full review of the show from the Vancouver Sun newspaper is here.

(Picture at left from a post by Shewritesrock at the She Writes Rock blog.)

George Michael

Diane and a gaggle of her friends went to see "Gorgeous George" as he played the Key Arena in downtown Seattle. (Photo below by: Evert Elzinga/AFP/Getty Images)

By all accounts, this was a good show for those attending with a mix of old Wham! and solo hits, mixed in with some new stuff.

One drawback Diane reported was, "I could have done with fewer ballads and more dancey numbers."

So there you have it.

In 2009, I intend to review shows as they happen on this blog and then aggregate them at the end of next year. So, stay tuned. The first expected review of 2009 will be from the Glasvegas show I'm going to in early January.