Bryan Ferry Live in Seattle 2014

This past Monday, my wife and I went to go see Bryan Ferry perform in Seattle at McCaw Hall.

Ferry is most famous for being the singer and main man in the very influential band Roxy Music - a group that burst onto the British musical scene in the early 70s as "glam rock" was becoming popular. They were the real deal, had great and innovative songs...along with an "interesting" look. Later lineups of Roxy Music fronted by Ferry created more mellow sounds in the 1980s. Ferry also has had an extended solo career.

Anyway, seeing him was a pleasant surprise in two ways.

First, we didn't know Bryan Ferry was coming until only a few days before the show. So, it wasn't on our radar. My wife said she wanted to go, so we jumped on StubHub and found great seats near the stage in the center for only a little over face value. Score! And, my third gig of 2014 - previously having seen The Strypes in March and Glasvegas in February.

Bryan Ferry Live in Seattle - April 2014 (c) Marc Osborn

Second, Bryan Ferry - despite his now 68 years of age - put on a wonderful performance, backed by a tight and energetic band and backup singers. Wow! I'd say most of the set was a Roxy Music (his original band) review. But, there were some "solo artist" material in there as well. Hey, I got to hear the man sing some of my favorite Roxy Music tunes...Virginia Plain, Editions of You, Remake/Remodel, Love is the Drug...and my wife got to hear her favorites...Avalon, Slave to Love, Kiss and Tell and More Than This.

You can read a full review of the entire show from The Stranger HERE. It's good reading to catch up on what Ferry has been up to and get a feel for how the Seattle show played out. It includes the set list for the evening, which I've pasted below.

Bryan Ferry McCaw Hall Set List (In Order Played)

Re-Make/Re-Model, Kiss and Tell, Slave to Love, Ladytron, Same Old Blues, If There Is Something, Oh Yeah, Stronger Through the Years, More Than This, Avalon, Reason or Rhyme, Tara, Take a Chance with Me, In Every Dream Home a Heartache, Prairie Rose, Love Is the Drug, Both Ends Burning, Virginia Plain, Editions of You. ENCORE: Running Wild

Bryan Ferry and band Live in Seattle - April 2014 (c) Marc Osborn

Once you've read up on Mr. Ferry and the Seattle show, you may be hunting for some of your old Roxy Music CDs or albums (remember those)...or making a quick trip to iTunes. No matter how you do it, I'd highly recommend "discovering" Bryan Ferry or revisiting his work. Great stuff and a unique perspective on music.



NOTE: Pictures appearing in this post were taken by Marc Osborn. Copyright for those pictures is owned by Marc Osborn and no use of them for any purpose is permitted without prior written permission from Marc Osborn.

Glasgow to Seattle - Glasvegas Live in "The Emerald City" Once More

Glasgow is a long way from Seattle. Geographically.

In other ways, however, they ain't so far apart. Perceived to be cold, gray, depressing and spawning very good musical acts are among the common traits the two cities share.

So perhaps it is not too surprising that Glasgow-based band Glasvegas has, over the years, come to Seattle four times to play live gigs. Ventures to the States by the group are not too common, but four times in Seattle between Jan. 2009 and Feb. 2014 is a pretty good clip. Perhaps they feel a bit at home here. Hey, even their poster is gray.

It just so happens that Glasvegas is one of my favorite bands of recent years and I've been lucky enough to see each of those four performances in Seattle - including last Friday at the Columbia City Theater. You can read my reviews of two of those HERE (2009) and HERE (2011). You can also see the band perform a song on CBS's Late Night with Craig Ferguson in the early morning hours of March 5 by clicking HERE.

Now, the location for this Feb. 2014 show in Seattle was a bit of a change up for the size of venue most bands like Glasvegas play in. Indeed, most groups with their status play at a joint like Neumo's (as Glasvegas did itself twice) or maybe the Showbox Market. But for whatever reason, this time around they were booked in at the smaller and more out of the way CCT. Other than a bit longer of a drive from my Ballard-area home to get there, the size and location turned out to be great. A very good band, up close and personal in a smaller space that sounded good. Oh, and in case you haven't been there in a while, the Columbia City neighborhood has - for better or worse - filled in now with a bunch of good restaurants, pubs and boutique shops.

Below is my review of the evening - before, during and after the gig:

Before the Show
A buddy and I hit one of those restaurants before the show, an Italian place called La Medusa. Good food people! Next, we walked the block up to the theater to see what was happening around there only to run right into Glasvegas bassist Paul Donoghue outside having a cigarette. We said hello, thanked him for coming all the way to Seattle and he told us that they almost hadn't made it because they were driving in from Minnesota across the north of the USA and got caught in a blizzard. He said that they only pulled into the parking lot of the theater at about 5:30 p.m. Wow.

We thanked Paul again and went inside. Not much happening in the bar. We pushed on into the theater and saw that the opening band, The Ceremonies, was on stage performing. We knew it'd be about an hour before Glasvegas came on and we decided to go back out and check out a pub we'd walked past on the way. We had a pint, talked about whatever and after a while decided it was time to go back.

Our arrival back at the theater was well timed as it was probably only 10-15 minutes until it was "Glasvegas time." We re-entered the performance space and made our way down about halfway to the stage...which in this venue is still really close to the stage. From the balcony/runway that runs above and along one side of the theater, four darkly dressed figures strolled toward the stage above us and then sauntered out front stage center.

The Gig

The band quickly kicked into the first song from their new album, a number called "Later...When the TV Turns to Static." See my review of the full album, also of that name, HERE. From there, Glasvegas launched into a 90 minute set featuring songs taken from their three albums with an emphasis, of course, on material from their most recent release.

Glasvegas on stage in Seattle at the Columbia City Theater - Feb. 28, 2014

Interestingly, main man James Allan was back to wearing black - donning a black leather motorcycle jacket and black trousers. The rest of the band wore their usual black attire. On their last our, he reversed his normal color choice and wore all white - I think as a comment on the generally positive tone and outlook of their second album, Euphoric Heartbreak.

Since this was a small venue, the band was right there up close. As a consequence, the time between songs lent itself to a more natural opportunity for lead man James Allan to converse, joke and say things to the audience - which he happily did.

This is an element of the Glasvegas - and perhaps James himself - persona that has grown and matured over the years. In their first two shows of theirs that I saw, the stance was not to talk to the audience at all...just go on, play the songs (and they did that well) and not say anything to the audience. Good but not too endearing. I like a band or a performer who is confident and willing to engage an audience as it shows they care about their fans and makes the performance more customized or unique. Well, no problem with that at this show. Allan talked to the audience between almost all the songs.

Beyond thank yous to the audience and saying names of songs, some of the banter that I recall included:

• Allan asking the house lighting operator to dim the lights down because he thought they were too bright and not appropriate for the mood they were going for. This inspired a bit of light hearted back and forth with the audience too.
• An introduction by Allan to the song "Lonesome Swan" in which we learned that the lyrics were, in part, inspired by a visit by Allan to a park lake somewhere that had those animal shaped paddle boats for rent. Apparently, when he was there, all the boats were out except one shaped like a swan...making it a lonesome swan. This got Allan thinking and produced a really good song...not literally about a paddle boat mind you.
• At one point, Allan decided to take off his probably now very hot black leather jacket. But, before he did he asked the audience if they could identify the face of the person stenciled in white on the lower front portion of the jacket. To me, it looked like Jerry Garcia or Greg Almond. To be honest, I did not hear what James said when he told the name...both because of the crowd noise and his thick Scottish accent. I think he said, "Jerry Allan." A relative? I could be and probably am wrong.
• Between one of the songs, Allan bent down to high five or grab hands with a few of the fans right up front. Apparently one of them must have put out a fist in anticipation of a reciprocal fist bump from Allan. After standing up, Allan told the crowd about how that prior to this very tour in the US, he had no idea what a fist bump was. He said that earlier in the tour someone stuck their fist out and he had no idea what to do with it...oddly grabbing and shaking it like a normal hand shake. Now, of course, he knows.

Overall, I would say the performance was top notch. The band were into the gig, giving their performance

Allan and Donoghue on stage in Seattle

with energy and effort - James Allan pacing the middle of the stage and singing out loud and strong, Rab Allan making the most of his stage right space, drummer Jonna Lofgren bashing her drum kit from her normal standing position and Paul Donoghue holding down the fort on bass over at stage left. The sound was really good in this small but acoustically excellent space and, as mentioned, the lighting and effects were minimal...which worked well in this case.

After performing their set and a short break before an encore, Glasvegas ended the show with a stonking version of their tune "Lots Sometimes." This is a song that starts slow and picks up pace steadily to the point where the last, say, third of the song is rocking loud and fast. An excellent way to end the show on a high, rocking note!

Below is a list of songs I recall them playing in total. I think I've captured them all here, but the ordering of them is rough based on a one week old memory. For sure the opener and closer are in the correct order:

Later...When the TV Turns To Static

Youngblood

Lonesome Swan

Geraldine

Dream, Dream, Dreaming

Ice Cream Van

If

The World Is Yours

It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry

All I Want Is My Baby

Go Square Go

----------------------------------------

Choices

Daddy's Gone

Lots Sometimes

Saying Hi to the Band After
And with that, the band exited the way they came in...up the stairs and across the elevated balcony above the stage on the wall. Most of the crowd filtered out, but I had seen a small sign saying that the band would be out to greet fans and sign merchandise after the show. My buddy and I decided to cool our heels in the bar for a bit and then see if we could say hello to Glasvegas after a bit. This we did successfully and were able to speak directly with each member of the band. My feeling on these type of things is that I would rather actually talk with a band member than ask them to sign something for me as my interaction with them. The later seems very self-serving and limits any communication around a physical object rather than something you might say or learn. So, as usual, I did not bring anything for band members to sign.

To James Allan, I wanted to let him know that as an older fan of rock and roll, I really appreciated what he and his band were doing and that it gave me hope for rock...and I did tell him that after thanking him for the show and for coming all the way to Seattle. He greeted my statement with a quick wide-eyed look and a big hug for both me and my friend. You could tell he really appreciated it. A sweet gesture of thanks.

For Rab Allan, we told him we had been to each of the four Seattle gigs for Glasvegas. He asked us which ones we liked best and said he thought the one on this night and their very first show in Seattle at Chop Suey were the best.

With Joanna Lofgren and band manager Denise (also James Allan's sister), we received confirmation that the band had indeed been stuck in a blizzard on their drive from Minneapolis to Seattle - to the degree that they had to pull off the road and wait it out. Lofgren said she did take a short walk around the neighborhood before the show, but did not get to enjoy what she had heard was a very nice day in Seattle. We assured her that Vancouver, BC - their next stop - was a great city and wished her a chance to get out and about up there to see some of the northwest.

Since we'd already spoken to Donoghue, and because it was getting late, we called it a night. With a quick tap on James's shoulder on our way out as a final thank you...we took off into the night and home.

Glasvegas continued on their U.S. tour, heading first north...then Portland and California. Will they be back soon - with new music or a tour? I hope so. This is a band that continues to grown and do interesting things. And, they're nice people to boot. So...here's hoping they keep on doing what they're doing and we get a chance to see them again in the not too distant future.

NOTE: Photographs of Glasvegas on stage in this blog post were taken by Marc Osborn. Copyright for those pictures is owned by Marc Osborn and now use of the images for any purpose is permitted without prior written permission from Marc Osborn.

2013: The Year in Gigs Attended

Below is a review I intended to post right at the end of December, but failed to given our vacation overseas...

2013 started hot and ended pretty nicely when it comes to live music I saw and heard. In between there was a long walk in the Gobi where there was NOTHING happening, but I think the wait was worth it. Here are a few thoughts on the shows I attended this year...

2013 Blasts to a Rocking Start. 
Things were looking good in Q1 2013 let me tell you! A load of great shows opened up the year and got me thinking..."Wow, this could be the best year in a while for gigs."

Mudhoney on stage in Seattle

Mudhoney + The Sonics at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle. What a way to kick off the year with a hot, hot, hot show on a cold, cold night. Packed to the gills, the show started with Seattle grunge legends Mudhoney and topped off with perhaps even more mythic 60s garage rock Gods from Tacoma The Sonics.

I bet most of you have heard of Mudhoney. And well you should. They are among the originators of "the Seattle sound" that dominated the late 80s and most of the 90s. Mark Arm and crew deliver raw, aggressive Stooges-inspired blasts that any fan of rock love. And they were the opening band on this night. Yep. And they delivered. "Touch Me I'm Sick" and on down the line, they played their "best of" set to the adulation and excitement of the crowd. Mudhoney are the real deal all these years later and I feel lucky to have seen them for the second only time in my life. Throw in that I was able to say hello to Mudhoney main man Mark Arm in person and, well, the night was a success just on that.

The Sonics rock Seattle 

But then came the second act, The Sonics. OK people, if you don't know The Sonics you should. Get everything they have on iTunes today. You like rock and roll? You like The Sonics. They were the Stooges, MC5, Ramones, Clash, Pistols, Nirvana, Mudoney, etc. before any of them were out of primary school. Hailing from Tacoma, this band set the template for raw, aggressive rock and roll.

And yes, they are in 2013 guys in their 60s. But make no make mistake, they ROCK. And they did on this night. What a special memory.

Soundgarden live at the Paramount

Soundgarden at the Paramount. This was the one major Seattle band I had never seen live, and I relished the opportunity to do so with their touring of their new album King Animal. Luckily...and I do mean "with luck"...I was able to get tickets for the floor in front of the stage. And it was from here that I and my buddy saw this epic rock and roll gig. All four members were in prime form, thudding out classic Soundgarden hits and best-of songs, along with equally good new tunes. Ears ringing, we left this gig truly fulfilled with that old time Seattle rock and roll spirit!

Volbeat at a venue in NYC. On a business trip to NYC, a colleague of mine who is a heavy metal fan said he wanted to check out a band called Volbeat at a mid-town venue one night. Who was I to disagree? Nobody. So I didn't. Combining an oddly attractive combination of Social D-style rockabilly and Metallica-style heavy metal, this band from Denmark rocked. And I loved it. Check them out.

Volbeat on stage in NYC

Ritzy Bryan of The Joy Formidable on stage in Seattle

The Joy Formidable at the Neptune Theater in Seattle. One of my favorite new bands. Hailing from Wales, this band has a heavy sound leavened with great hooks, challenging lyrics and the genius and charisma of front-woman Ritzy Bryan. What a great explosion of rock and roll. The packed theater ate it up, and I counted myself lucky to have seen this band up close and personal. You can also read my review of their most recent album HERE.

Billy Bragg at the Neptune Theater. One week after The Joy Formidable, I found myself back at The Neptune for a much different show. This time it was British troubadour Billy Bragg. Sporting an acoustic guitar, a backing band and a lot of commentary about the state of the world, Bragg delivered an enjoyable set of music spanning his long career.

Problem Child in Chehalis, WA. My wife and I a have a dear and very talented friend who is the lead guitarist an excellent AC/DC cover band called Problem Child. Yes, he plays the Angus Young part, and does so perfectly - in sound and look.

People LOVE AC/DC, but are not likely to see them live any time soon, so Problem Child fills the bill. In this case, they were finishing up a weekend of NW touring with a gig in...of all places...Chehalis. Now, this just happens to be the town of my wife's birth and upbringing. So, what were we to do, but journey the 90 miles south and check it out! And are we glad we did. Packing in with locals at a small bar on the now mostly deserted main street of Chehalis, we witnessed a blistering set of the full Highway to Hell and Back In Black albums by the band situated at the front of the establishment and NOT up on a stage. That's right. They were in the front part of the place at floor level...a mere two feet from the crowd. And what a sweaty rock and roll delight that was!

And then came a loooooooonnnnggg wait.
Yes, things dried up quick after March. Sure, some great new music came out during the middle of the year, but none of those bands were touring in the USA. And, none of the summertime showcase festivals appealed or were anywhere near downtown Seattle. So, I endured the March to August drought as best I could.

And then things got real good, real quick!

Everest at The Tractor Tavern in Seattle. OK, so I had not heard of this band before, but a friend knew of them and insisted we go. I'm glad we did.

Stereophonics live in Seattle

The Stereophonics at the Showbox at the Market in Seattle. Kicking off the late year surge of good shows, a buddy of mine and I went to see Welsh band Stereophonics downtown. Standing near the stage, it was great to see this band that could certainly fill much larger venues in the UK so up close.

The Joy Formidable (again!) at the Neptune (again!). Another week and another Welsh band. This time, The Joy Formidable for the second time in 2013. They came back to Seattle for a special gig in which ticket proceeds fund after school music programs for kids in the Seattle area. Not sure why they did this, but I'm glad they did as it gave me another chance to see this dynamic band. Once again, the Neptune was packed and a good time followed.

Mona at the Chop Suey in Seattle. Mona is a great band out of Nashville that I've been keeping an eye and ear on over the past year or two. You can read

Mona live in Seattle at Chop Suey

my review if their most recent album HERE.

Mona has been quite successful over in the UK developing an audience and becoming popular. However, back here in their homeland...it's been a slower go. I actually talked to front man Nick Brown about this at the bar before the show on this night. My supposition was that Americans really don't like rock and roll any more - or not nearly as much. They prefer rap, country, pop and dance. Nick replied that rock and roll used to be the embodiment of rebellion and a sonic middle finger to the establishment...and that it is not that here now. Rap is. He wants to bring rebellion back to rock, and in the process rock back to America. I for one am 100 percent behind him and his band mates.

The Long Winters at The Neptune. Now, this was a Seattle band I had not heard of, but should have. A friend of mine recommended we go because this was a reunion of the band in celebration of the 10 year anniversary of their best known album When I Pretend to Fall and 15 year anniversary of the record label they are on, Barsuk. The short version of the story is that TLW debuted at about the same time and in the same scene as Death Cab for Cutie, a more well known Seattle-area band on Barsuk.

Anyway, TLW lineup included Sean Nelson on keyboards, backup singing and clever in-between-song commentary. Sean was the lead man for mid-90s Seattle band Harvey Danger. So, you might remember him. In any case, what ensued was the band running through When I Pretend to Fall in sequence. At first, I thought it sounded a bit to much like happy pop rock with a bit of an edge, but after about the third song I was hooked. Good tunes, well played, interesting lyrics, great on stage persona by the band members. Lets put it this way: the next day I bought the album and really enjoy it. Check this band out!

Missed Opportunities

Some acts I did not get a chance to see when they came to to the Seattle area that I wish I could have seen:

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - they played a festival way out in eastern Washington, and I could not be bothered to drive four hours and endure massive crowds to see their truncated set among so many other bands I could not care less about. BRMC are a very good band that I would drop everything and see if they came to actual Seattle, but not in the situation that happened this year.

Death. This is a band from the 60s reunited now for a tour. Think Detroit garage rock heaviness. I did not realize they played Seattle until after the fact. Oh well.



NOTE: All pictures in this post taken by Marc Osborn. Copyright owned by Marc Osborn. No use of any of these pictures for any purpose is permitted without the prior written permission of Marc Osborn.

Mona Rocks the Chop Suey in Seattle

I went to see the band Mona last night at Chop Suey in Seattle. Below is a not-so-great shot I took in the very dark club...

Mona Live in Seattle - Oct. 21, 2013

For those of you who have not heard of Mona, they're an up-and-coming rock band out of Nashville who have attained a large audience in the UK and are now trying to build one here in their home country.

You can read my review of their recently released second album HERE.

I've seen these guys a number of times in Seattle and once in NYC and they always deliver the goods - great, melodic, loud rock and roll with hints of U2, Johnny Cash, the Clash and other great acts.

And, having met the guys in the band a few times at the bar...I can also say they're cool dudes to boot.

Check 'em out.

The Joy Formidable Live in Seattle

Last night I went to a great gig here in Seattle at the Neptune Theater. The headliner was The Joy Formidable, a group out of Wales getting a lot of attention right now...and for good reason!

You can read my review of their new CD Wolf's Law by clicking HERE.

Suffice it to say that TJF came ready to rock and give it their all. Featuring the dynamo lead singer/guitarist Ritzy Bryan, the group performed a compelling and varied set of tear it up power chord rock, mellow acoustic ballads and mid-tempo melodies. Favorites  for me were This Ladder Is Ours, Austere, Whirring, Silent Treatment and Serenade.

I'd highly suggest you check out Wolf's Law and their previous disc, The Big Roar. In the meantime, here are a couple pictures I took last night...



The Joy Formidable live on stage in Seatte - March 27, 2013



Ritzy Bryan of The Joy Formidable on stage in Seattle - March 27, 2013

Soundgarden Live in Seattle

This just in: rock and roll is alive and well in the form of Soundgarden. How do I know? Well, I attended their show in Seattle Feb. 7 at the Paramount, and I can tell you from being there that this band is delivering the goods with a heavy, loud, intense, guitar driven presentation that puts virtually any other current band to shame. You want squealing guitars with articulate solos? Check. You want thudding bass laying in a heavy layer of low end? Check. You want power chords? Check. You want thundering drums? Check. You want a powerful, soulful voice? Check. Soundgarden has it all.

Soundgarden is the only "big" Seattle band from the grunge era that I had not ever seen live, so I was looking forward to this show. And I knew at some level I'd be hearing some great songs from the past...and did. But, this is not a band simply cashing in on past fame. Far from it. This is a vital and creative band showing today's listeners what rock and roll can and should still be by not only cranking out their "classic"back catalog, but playing songs from their brand new album - King Animal - that sound just as good as anything they've ever done.

You can read the Seattle Times review of the show that I saw HERE.

In the meantime, check out the pictures I took from the floor of the gig...

All pictures in this post taken by Marc Osborn. Use for any purpose is NOT permitted without prior written permission from Marc Osborn.

The Gaslight Anthem Rock Seattle

A buddy and I went to go see The Gaslight Anthem at the Crocodile Cafe last Sunday. If you are not familiar with the band, check them out...if you like real, American rock and roll.

It's hard rock with a melody produced by Brian Fallon and his band mates straight out of New Jersey.

They are right at the top of my list of favorite new/newish rock and roller groups.

Anyway, the place was PACKED, energized and the band put on a great show. This was the gig to be at. Sold out.

You can see some videos of the gig (taken by other people, not me) HERE, HERE and HERE.

I did take some pictures, which you can see at the end of the set of pictures HERE. A teaser shot below...

The Gaslight Anthem live on stage in Seattle - July 8, 2012

My GIGS Book

Here is a book I created recently using photos I took at local shows and text from posts from this blog.

I think the title and sub-head of the book says it all - GIGS: Live Music, Small Camera, Low Light...Rock & Roll.

Check it out!

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own personalized photo books at Shutterfly.com.

Mona Gig in NYC

I went to see one of my currently favorite bands, Mona, while on a business trip to NYC this week. The gig was at the Mercury Lounge and it was a flamin' show.

Mona is one of these bands that is doling out legit, cool, thoughful rock and roll. Also, at this stage of their career, they are very accessible guys. I've spoken to each member of the band a couple times at their gigs and to a man they are approachable, glad to talk for a few minutes and thank you for coming to see them.

Obviously I'm sold. You can read a concise review of the NYC gig that I 100% agree with from someone else who was there at THIS blog.

Pictures of the show this week that were taken by someone else can be seen HERE.

Here are a couple shots I took of the band when they played in Seattle in 2011...

Mona Plays Live in Ballard

An up-and-coming band I've kept my ear on recently, Mona, played a gig last night at the small Tractor Tavern venue in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. A buddy and I went to check them out and were glad we did.

More info on Mona HERE.

In addition to their ripping set of melodic, edgy rock and roll we also were fortunate enough to meet each member of the band at some point in the evening and we can report that members of Mona are approachable, good guys who appreciate people who come out to their shows.

Unfortunately, my point-and-shoot digital camera was on the fritz, so the few pictures I attempted to take did not turn out very good. Here is one that kinda (but not really) turned out at least somewhat visible...

More pictures of Mona that I took when they played the Showbox SoDo earlier this year are HERE. Mona are the last few pictures in the set.

Opening bands Sunday evening, Funeral Party and Locksley, were both quality and if you're interested in new bands to check out, I'd add them to the list.

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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.