If There's One Thing They Can Do...

The number of times I've seen Muse live now has alarmingly breached my second hand when finger counting.

I'm not apologizing for seeing them 7 times (6 times Muse proper and once as support for U2) though.  Hell, if I had the money and will to do so, I probably would have gone again tonight.

Because last night reminded me of why they're just so damned fantastic.

Before you all get all rolly-eyed with me, know this: I had no intention of seeing them this tour.

It's a blasted, horrible current album.  They've gone off the deep end on this one.  I bestowed upon them the dishonour of being my most hated album last year, as they bestowed upon me the dishonour of having to listen to that mess.

But, if there's one thing they can do...it's put on a show.

Now, I've fond memories from nearly all my Muse shows.  The first was at a tiny venue and they'll never be that small again.  The second was in London - different vibe being on home turf and an awesome time.  The third was...in London at Wembley Stadium with H1 - two sisters having a blast in a huge opening for the Stadium.  The fourth was in the pit at MSG and so close to the action that it was plain amazeballs.  The fifth was god awful at MSG and I don't know what happened there.  The sixth was for U2 and they turned out better than U2 (U2 at the time were touring that rubbish last album).  And last night...Last night was special for the sort of sad reasons you never want to think about.

I was uneasy.  It was not a show I planned on going to but an Active Goat was never afforded the opportunity.  I took her because she and I have become quite the friends and if there's one show anyone ever needs to see, it's Muse.  Goats are all about being dragged to things and actively going there of their own mind even if they don't know they've been tricked.  Haha! Nothing, Goat.  You saw nothing.

I was doubly uneasy.  All manners of bullshit happened in Boston yesterday as terrorists attacked the city during their Marathon.  Hundreds are severely injured.  Lives were lost.

It's a sad time and certainly puts a damper on your spirit.  And a concert at MSG is the furthest thing from my mind knowing shit is going on number one and number two, that you're at a prime target for a terrorist attack to happen.  Security was of course heightened but that did not make me feel better.

I pondered long on getting these tickets and therefore ended up with not prime seating.  Section 106 though I have to say was not bad at all.  Maybe not Row 20 at Seats 1 and 2 but not bad viewing for Muse's theatrics at all.

Always one to do things loud and bombastic, nothing was left to be dull.

The famous inverted pyramid for this tour came down from the ceiling and the first image was one that hit a little too close to home.

A lone marathon female runner - fighting to run.  Stopping to catch her breath.  It was uncanny.  I don't believe it was intentional but it was something.  It was something jarring with Boston fresh on my mind.

Images plastered everywhere on the multi-screen pyramid set to heavy electronic music of The 2nd Law.  Muse eventually came out and dove straight into "Supremacy".

Never one to shy away from Conspiracy Theories and how we should all band together in an Uprising to take down the wealthy government and general spewing of "rock n' roll" rhetoric, it was an odd universe and feeling to be stuck in in that moment during the events that had occurred mere hours previously.

As the highly energetic night wore on with all my old favourites being played, at one point Matt belted out the Star-Spangled Banner on the guitar to a sort of hushed audience mixed in with almost forlorn cheers.  It was heart-breaking.  It was heavy.  It felt right.  I think everyone at the arena stood proud.  I know I did.


The Low Lamps

1.  It's NYC, so Muse thought maybe they could put Chris on to sing one of his songs.  Sorry Chris.  Those songs were horrible.  The was actually not well received at all by the crowd.  I clapped a little because I love them all, but...no.  Those songs were part of the problem of the new album.

2.  A couple eventually ended up sitting next to us at the concert.  We were hoping for some European hotties, Goat and I but alas...

3.  Every time Muse played one of the crappier songs from the current album that I did not care for (which was 80% of the album), I cringed.

4.  Matt jumped into the crowd at the pit! What the eff! He couldn't do that in 2007 when I saw him and was in the pit?! Curse you, effin' Bells.  CURSE YOU.

5.  Absolutely nothing was played from Origin of Symmetry.  Son of a...

The Highlights

1.  You know, I've avoided Biffy Clyro for some while and I'm not sure why I did.  They're not so bad.  I mean, they're a lot more alternative than I imagined them to be but they did have a sort of heavy metal vibe going to them too which is more of what I expected of them.  Good stuff.  Mostly good stuff.  Some of it was dull nearing the end there.


2.  The stage set up.  Truly magnificent! Muse are never meant to be stripped down.  This is how they should be seen.  It was quite the amazing set up this time around.  It all sounded loud, clear, and good.  Mostly.  Sometimes it sounded not so great but damned amazing to experience.

3.  Great songs outweighed the bad ones played.  And the ones I did like off the album were done really well.

4.  Muse.  Even after distancing myself from them for the past two years or so, they still manage to impress.  Dom was so cute at the end there too saying goodbye to NY.  Love that boy a lot.

5.  Section 106 was full on French people.  Whoooaaaa!!!!

6.  An Active Goat.  "Um, Goat.  I think we're on the floor we need to be on already."  "Nah! We didn't go up three flights yet!"  "Um, yeah.  I think we did.  Yep, pretty sure this is us...::watching her go up the escalator." "Uh oh!"  Two seconds later she re-appeared from the service exit staircase.  So freaking hilarious, I can't even tell you.

The Muse at Madison Square Garden Set List on 4/15/2013:

1.  The 2nd Law: Isolated System
2.  Supremacy
3.  Map of the Problematique
4.  Supermassive Black Hole
5.  Resistance
6.  Panic Station (Star-Spangled Banner intro)
7.  Knights of Cydonia (Man with a Harmonica intro)
8.  Monty Jam
9.  Explorers
10.  Follow Me
11.  United States of Eurasia
12.  Liquid State
13.  Madness
14.  Time is Running Out
15.  Undisclosed Desires
16.  Stockholm Syndrome
17.  The 2nd Law: Unsustainable
18.  Uprising (extended outro)

Encore:

19.  Starlight (dedicated to Boston)
20.  Survival

It was during the encore, the boys came back met by a sea of lit phones all around the Garden like twinkling stars, and they in turn dedicated "Starlight" to the people of Boston.  "They need all our support tonight!" or something along those lines were said.  It was an amazingly, fitting moment.

And more so when everything ended in "Survival".

Words cannot even express the pure excitement and solidarity in those final moments as we all clapped our hands together in unison.  For Boston.  For each other.  For everyone.

Currently listening to: "Welcome to Japan" by The Strokes.

The Legend of Zelda Symphony That I Dragged H1 To

Yep, it was some time in November when I dragged a poor, little H1 to that thing.

November 28th to be exact.

Much like our trip to the Final Fantasy Distant Worlds Symphony in April of 2011, there were people dressed up as their favourite characters but the best I saw had to have been the awesome tribute someone did as a Skull Kid from the best of the Zelda games (which of course is Mask of Majora).

However, unlike our trip to Distant Worlds, this Symphony was vastly different and not in a terribly positive way either.

The Highlights

1.  In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, the good people at Nintendo crafted this entire tour featuring the music of the fantastic Zelda series.  It was the same for the 25th Anniversary of Final Fantasy and I couldn't be happier.  Both series shaped the type of games I enjoy playing now, and gave me a greater appreciation for music of its kind.  I'm sure I spoke at length before about my adoration of one Nobuo Uematsu but he's not the only one to thank.  The great Koji Kondo, composer to the Zelda series helped create the tone and indeed, the world of Hyrule and beyond.  The fact that the opportunity was afforded to be in attendance to hear musical genius realized by a full orchestra is a highlight enough.

2.  I saw Stephen Totilo and Jason Schreier of Kotaku at my show! They sat one row in front of me but more to the left of me but not too far away that I couldn't hail them.

3.  The music was played absolutely beautifully.  The orchestra sounded better than at Distant Worlds and the acoustics at the Theater at MSG were quite lovely.

4.  The scenes accompanying the music from the various games in the Zelda series was well-thought out and put together.

5.  Ending the Symphony with music from The Mask of Majora? That's a damned plus right there even if it almost felt like an after thought.

6.  Whhhhaaaaa...??!! Conducting the Orchestra with the Wind Waker baton? I see what you did there...

Well-played (and I see what I did there).

7.  I would have rioted had "Lost Woods" not been played.  They're lucky... 

The Lowlamps

1.  This is not so much the music but the Theater at Madison Square Garden.  It's not that nice, which is sad.  It sounded great but it was not that comfortable.

2.  I did not shout out to Totilo and Jason at Kotaku.  I was playing Woobeewoo in that, "I'm shy".  It also meant I did not get to tag them in Streetpass.  It also made me miss Crecente.

3.  The Symphony itself while it sounded fantastic, as H1 rightly observed, it was not as fun.  This was not really the fault of the music selection though maybe that could be part of it but it was very much due to the fact that the musicians did their job and that was to read sheet music.  It was not played with feeling and there was no investment on their part into what was being performed.  At the very least in Distant Worlds the musicians truly had a keen interest in what was going on and the interactions from the crowd.  It made the FF concert that much more lively while this one suffered from a lack of personality.

4.  Musically, the song selections while not...horrendous, there was a lot overlooked and could easily have been included to make it not as somber as it felt at times.  I did not mind the inclusion of many of the Ganondorf battle music but what about the exploration? Some of it was there but not a lot...fantastic dungeon music, forest temples, and even some of the other minor bosses' music was overlooked.  Any piece of boss music (save Ganondorf) from Wind Waker would have made the whole thing so much more entertaining.

It was a fun night overall, except for the fact I failed to get a blasted ocarina at the shop which was a complete mob scene.  It was one thing to not get an ocarina but it sold out right before I could have ordered and sold to some woman who did not even want to really buy one.  ::sigh:: Such is life, I suppose.  And maybe it was Karma paying me back for having the "opportunity" to order a Virtue's Last Reward pre-order bonus thing.  I don't know.  Let's not talk about it.

I think H1 had a decent time and I think it's safe to say these crazy Video Game Symphonies won't be happening again any time soon.  Awww, that kinda makes me sad...Ah well.  Maybe next 25 years...

Awww, friends.

Fellow 3DS Cool Kids Met Via Streetpass: It was probably over 60 and it could have been more too, if not for my not wanting to leave my seat.

Currently listening to: "Magick" by Klaxons

Kimbra and Her Magical Frock in Limbo

It's true.

Kimbra has more than half a song in spite of what many of you clowns may believe.

Not only does she have more than half a song (as featured on Goyte's one-"hit" wonder song that was all the rage this year), but her album is 50 times better than that of the aforementioned Goyte.

It's an album that's actually 50 times better than most but I'll leave the gushing for the end of year review.

Thus, even threatening me with housing her concert at Webster Hall could not deter me.  Webster Hall's not that awful and it certainly is no Terminal 5 which I would have more than likely passed up.

But with TD5, Active Goat T., Alex and H1 in tow, I'm incredibly happy that TD5 and I did not pass up the opportunity to see the fantastic Kimbra.

We began the evening at Kenkas (sorry B.!) and ate a bunch of our favourites but nothing spectacularly strange as with past ventures being that Beetchie was not with me.  I don't think that gives me an excuse for going there without her and I won't tell her that the food was really good that night.

Especially our awesome fries which is fast becoming the only place to eat fries.

After a satisfying meal (and some trauma to the Active Goat's fragile, young mind of the aesthetics on display at Kenkas), we traipsed on over to Webster Hall for the best $20 concert I've ever attended.  In fact, I knew the evening could be nothing but awesome considering that's the cheapest I've ever paid for a concert.

That alone is amazing in itself.

Ushered upstairs, we were met with the sounds of opener The Step Kids.

We've seen some pretty horrendous openers in our time but The Step Kids should not be lumped with the lowest of the low.  They were more middle ground, I suppose.  Musically, they sounded pretty good but they were a bit too much funk and too much on a 70's vibe for my taste.  I mean, what business did these white boys from Connecticut have being so psychedelic, funk?!  It was funny save the forced falsetto of one of the vocalists ever so often.  That was done too much and everything just sort of blended into one song.

They did have an awesome little stage show though with the lights... 

...which you cannot really tell from this picture.  You can be assured that it was cool though.

After exiting stage right, and then brushing past us in the crowd (yeah, the drummer with some girl squeezed his way past us after their set was over), we had a little bit of wait while Kimbra's roadies set up her stage.  It was the point when her second microphone stand was set up complete with her boo boo tambourine that TD5, H1 and I lost it.

Some smoke machines later, a dimming of the lights and the extended opener version of "Limbo" playing over the loud speakers that things got under way.

It was quite the thrilling little builder of anticipation...I know I was excited as it's one of my favourite tracks.

There were lots of purple lights and soon, Kimbra came dancing out and straight into "Limbo", and she was dressed in an outfit that many considered doing for Halloween.  I loved its weirdness and the blast of multiple colours that Kimbra came dolled up in.  Soon, H1 dubbed the giant purple thing draped over her shoulders as "The Magical Frock" and so it shall be remembered from this day forward.

Our time spent with Kimbra felt incredibly short even though she played just about every song from her album but I guess time flies when you're having fun, which is exactly what we did.  We danced, yelled, screamed, cheered and marveled at Kimbra's genuinely excited demeanour.  The girl was so happy, it was too cute for words.

Scary at times, too.

 To recap as we always do, here are the highlights and lowlamps -

The Lowlamps

1.  I was expecting hipsters.  Hipsters are lowlamps for sure but what I was not expecting was probably one of the rudest crowd I have ever encountered.  I don't know what the fans could be categorized as but they were not hipsters.  Hipsters, at the very least, are polite and tend to stand around not doing much.  The jerks at this concert were pushing their way to the front, cutting off a lot of us and standing way too close to us and others in an attempt to get up to the front.  These people exist at all concerts but it was particular horrendous this night.

2.  The Great Herding of Webster Hall.  Marketing or herding, it was awful.  After Kimbra was done, there was a herding situation of epic proportions that had us going down flights of stairs and into a section for "more live music", the bar area (in which we almost lost TD5 because he was very tempted to sit down and have one) and an eventual street escape.  It was ingenious and pure evil at the same time.

The Highlights

1.  Our girl, Kimbra! Her vocal range is nothing short of spectacular.  She sounded great live and even better than on disc (if even possible!) changing up songs just enough to be interesting and not jarring.  Her personality on stage was playful, joyous and again, she was just so darn cute.  I think it's safe to say that TD5, H1 and I can highly recommend seeing her live if anyone is afforded the opportunity.  I really do hope this girl is going to get a lot more exposure than she is being given.

2.  Webster Hall's Sound System.  Everything sounded so incredibly awesome which H1 rightly pointed out at some point during the evening.  It was clear, and fantabulous.

3.  Two Microphones? Kimbra's vocal prowess is so intense that the girl needs two microphones to sing with.  Two.  At the same time.  It's a spectacle.  I say vocal prowess, while others might say she's a wide-mouthed frog.  Same difference?

4.  That outfit.  The purple Magical Frock that completed the outfit was just dynamite.  It wouldn't be a Kimbra concert without some weirdness/artistic madness and insane hand gestures on her part.  At one point the Magical Frock got away from her shoulders which she mentioned too as "having never happened to her before...must be New York". 

1. 5.   "Settle Down".  Apparently, we weren't playing along.  By "we" I meant the fools in the crowd.  We were supposed to be singing along and we didn't (TD5, H1 and I did) but no.  Anyway, she restarted it and the entire performance was the best.
   
   
   The Kimbra at Webster Hall on October 19, 2012 Set List:
   
   
   1.  Limbo
   2.  Posse
   3.  Good Intent
   4.  Plain Gold Ring
   5.  Two Way Street
   6.  Marigold
   7.  Old Flame
   8.  Warrior
   9.  Something in the Way You Are
   10. Settle Down
   11. Cameo Lover
   12. Come Into My Head
   
   
   Encore:
   
   
   13. Withdraw
   14. Call Me
   As you can see from the set list, I got the better song.  Or rather, we had never heard that song before but it was quite the danceable fun song that I cannot wait to get on a follow up cd or something.   I managed to get the better song over H1's.  Heh.  I think I got choked for that at some point.
   
   In closing, (I don't know why my blog post just got messed up - unrelated but I cannot seem to fix it) it was a great night with lots of fun with friends and to Kimbra: Our hearts are already open.
   
   

   

"These Guys are Amaze-Balls"

Amaze-Balls = When the use of "ing" does not aptly express the level of supreme awesome once wishes to convey.

So was the term used to describe The Black Keys by new friends we made on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.

And the term shall be used henceforth when needed.

Personally, I would not call them "amaze-balls" myself because while my ticket said I had purchased pit tickets for The Black Keys, in my heart (and as obvious to every unmoving body in that place except for The HOchieS') I was there for Arctic Monkeys.

That's not a discredit to The Black Keys though because they were pretty damned good themselves.

The Low-Lamps:

1.  Again with the crowd.  I was surprised that so few people were there for Arctic Monkeys.  And of the ones that were who just wanted to get to the front of the stage, they were hella' crap.  I suppose they were not there for Arctic Monkeys and couldn't care less to dance or sing along but that was some disappointing and shocking crud, if I do say so.  Oh, hipsters.  You're so fickle, self-righteous and self-indulgent, aren't you? Yeah? Yeah.

A Little Bit Dangerous

There are some bands that take the stage, and immediately the sound hits you hard and you know it's going to be great.

TV on the Radio did it better.

I love the RCMH banner! Next time I'll get a proper picture.

From NYC to Distant Worlds

I have partaken in some extraordinary nerd-ish behaviour in my time.

Of these...uh, exploits...there are three major ones that I can readily think of.

1.  2001 - I went to Otakon.  It was there I stood in line at a signing to meet Kawamoto Toshihiro. He signed my Cowboy Bebop wall scroll, scrawling his name all over Jet's hand (because no one respects Jet! except me?); and I made Kawamoto-san's hand smell bad for having to touch and pin down my unruly wall scroll as it threatened to make a mess of the table.

It was not my fault the wall scroll smelt of ass.  I bought it in Baltimore and who knows what was going on that weekend but the entire downtown area surrounding the convention center smelt terrible.

I always "jest" that I probably made the poor man ill because he had cookies on the table.  I'm sure he ate the cookies with his bad-smelling hand.

Turn Off The Bright Lights

For their last tour, H1 and I had tickets to Interpol's show at Madison Square Garden.  Unfortunately, we missed it and it was one of our biggest concert-going regrets.

A chance at redemption to see the band at a nice venue for the new album and tour presented itself on Thursday last.

Interpol at Radio City Music Hall

But, there were potential snafus and reservations from the start.  With Carlos D. no longer a member of Interpol (as much as a jerk he appeared to be to me), it felt somewhat sad.  Sure he seemed an ass and some may claim, "he's just a bassist - who cares?".  Yes, that's a statement I do not agree with.  I've enjoyed their music for some time now and as a band, Interpol did not make albums without him.  Their sound is the sum of all parts involved, damn it. 

And how sad it was, as I have mentioned before, that on this their final album with Carlos D's involvement that it was the bass that should shine through the most.  The bass lines were heavy, prominent and really set the tone for the melancholy heart-felt sound of the album.

That said, on this album, there were some really great tracks but not the best work they've had.  And as much as I love Interpol, I know not to expect some crazy light show or incredibly exciting concert.  They're not a high-energy band but their songs are fantastic and heavy on emotion.

At the very least, I expect a concert of theirs to sound great and be relaxing with a bit of fun on the catchier tracks.  I especially expected them to sound superb at Radio City Music Hall being the venue that it was, right? Sadly, it was not entirely so...

A Casio on a Plastic Beach

If not for the taxing endeavour undertaken a few months ago at the insistence of the Frenemies, I may not have re-kindled my love of Gorillaz.

Had I not re-kindled that unholy alliance with Murdoc and twisted love of 2D, I may have missed the best show this year and certainly one that has made it in the Top 5 of shows I have seen.

The zany stories behind all members with Phase 2 during the promotion of Demon Days ended five years or so years ago, and Phase 3 began on a tiny island at coordinates: 48° 52' 36" S, 123° 23' 36" W

Noodle was presumed dead, Russell was not invited to come back to record with Murdoc, and 2D was kidnapped to resume vocal duties.

Clearly, the Phase 3 Plastic Beach adventure was going to be no less entertaining than previous Phases but what about the music?

When I first heard that Damon Albarn gathered a bunch of artists together for guest work on the album (more so than ever before), I feared a gimmick.  However, with the release of the album in March, it was obvious that my concerns were unfounded.

With the excitement of a solid, incredibly diverse album mixing alternative rock with hip-hop, synth, brass and a full orchestral score and talent from countries with sounds not heard in the mainstream; and a fan club membership to the Sub Division (formerly G-Club) - I eagerly waited the announcement of a tour.

How would Damon and Jamie Hewlett do it?

How would Murdoc, 2D, Noodle (cyborg and real) and a rather large Russell be transformed for a stage?

The accomplished, bold 3rd album would be no easy feat to re-create live but with the genius of Damon and Jamie, nothing is impossible.

Welcome to the World of Plastic Beach.

A Night Out with The HOchieS, Part II: It Said MSG but We Ended Up in Canada?

It's very rare I find myself down in the 30s, which may explain why I have not had an amazing Korean food experience yet in K-Town.

Chances are if you find me in the K'Hood, it's due to the fact that I'm off dragging a poor soul to Madison Square Garden.

Friday Night's Victim was H1 (as previously posted) and Friday Night's Instrument of Torture?

The End of Year Review IV: Broadway, Concerts and the Best of the Blog 2009

This year I saw a couple of favourites again for the millionth time, some might say.  And you guys should shut it!
I also finally saw two of my favourite bands for the first time and what will be the last time for the foreseeable future.

It turned out to be a busy year afterall for shows, but also, we had a sad year overall but we're thankful for lots as usual and hope for an awesome 2010 for all!

7.  U2 at Giants Stadium turned out to be a damned nightmare.  I never wanted to go to this to begin with and only went for MUSE.  It turns out that not even MUSE could correct the awful night we had (but of course they were awesome).  U2 toured on a crap album and they're really showing their age - with forgotten lyrics and timing-off.  Yeesh.  This was definitely the worst show we saw this year and that's surprising.  Oh, it didn't help it that we missed Yeah Yeah Yeahs for this.  Psh.

6. All Points West on Friday.  This was the best free concert surprise! TD5 came up to see AM and just like that, tickets appeared and I got to see YYY and he got to see Vampire Weekend.  Though I suppose nothing is for free because we did have to trek to assland.

5. I never expected I would see Arctic Monkeys twice this year and I don't want to go back to a concert in December.  There's always that risk of the coldest night of the year which is exactly what happened to us.  Then there's always the trauma of having a crappy support band as AM likes to pick them.  And the threat of a not so awesome show.  That should never happen with AM but this isn't the best album either.  It did not help that the show was at the cornerstone either.

4. I may never be that close to Alex, Matthew, The Cookie and Nick again in my life.  It was not the best show I've seen from Arctic Monkeys due to material played but it was quite memorable being in such a tiny space such as The Highline Ballroom with my favourite boys.  And to think, I could have reached out and touched Nick! Too bad that effin' P. Diddy had to ruin things by showing up.  I really did not need to see that.

3. I like Green Day and was upset with myself when I missed the American Idiot/Bullet in a Bible tour. They had a really stupid album this time around but I was not expecting what transpired at MSG. They played for three hours straight and were incredible! I would recommend that everyone see them if given the chance.

2. I never thought the day would come when Jude Law would be on any list of mine.  That man is an ass, let us just get that out there but I suppose you can be an ass and still be a great actor.  Aren't most of them are? We saw him in Hamlet and I am still in awe.

1. Nine Inch Nails.  It took me 15 years to see one of my favourite bands and just as they were on their way out.  I discovered I hate Terminal 5 with a passion and I am really thankful I will never have to experience NINfluenza again.  But I am really sad that I will never get to see them again or that H1 will not get to see them.  That was one of the best shows I have been to.  Oh NIN, come baaaaackkkkkk!!!!

Like I said, this year wasn't the best but surely we had some good memories each month!!!

January saw this HOchie with a not so pg13 lucky lucky bag.  I'm still trying to pass off the sekshi toys on some unsuspecting fool but do you people remember the the hip parade?

Hmmm, what do you suppose we should give up for Lent  this February?

Hey, looks like March wasn't that bad.  We made good memories with Bunji and A'Face even though both were kinda scary moments - all I have to say is, zombies scare the eff out of me but still be pretty funny. And I feel really sorry for Spiderman.

April brought me new shady, pirate friends and made me remember one of the horrors of video game history and just how bad I can be at saving people..

What's that they say about Spring and May Flowers? And NKOTB? Say it ain't so...

Our little MC got married in June and while we got to share in the happiness and greatness that is Trinidad and Tobago, we sadly did not get to see our little Pandy get married.

H1 likes to torture me and also make fun of my 'lack' of skills.  She has no idea how that keeps me up at night... But I suppose it was only payback for what I did to her.  Though she seems to be have had lots of debacles of her own.

August is always an ass month but we were quite busy! With NIN, Arctic Monkeys and All Points West, we had quite the few weeks and then of course, August always proves what it is and hits me with sickness like never before.  Ack, damned NINfluenza.

September saw us having crap with U2 but at least we made it up by having fun memories with our friends in the kids room.

October was surprisingly quiet but it wouldn't be October without a Zombie panic attack.

We had fun times in November with Thanksgiving week including attending Hamlet.

And here we have December - there are still days left for memories but so far, it's been a crazy not-so-great month but we're looking forward to Christmas and some time off with each other.

Currently listening to: Whatever is playing in The Hangover.

"The Mother-Fookin' Cornerstone"

Sadly, I did not get to meet Nick at the Mother-Fookin' Cornerstone, and hell, I was barely able to see him from where I stood.

One day perhaps.

In the meanwhile, the real arctic monkeys went to see Arctic Monkeys the band.

The lot of us who stood outside that Cornerstone, that is literally on the corner of 11th and the West Side Highway, were freezing.

Calling Friday night 'cold ass' is an understatement.  It was the first cold blast we got for the season/month and of course, it had to happen whilst H1 and I had plans to be in the middle of nowhere.

I cannot stress how much I dislike Terminal 5 but I'll go ahead and say it again.

The Low-lamps:

1.  Terminal 5.  What the hell... Summer or Winter, it's a bad venue.  Terminal 5 secured a bout of NINfluenza thanks to poor ventilation back in August and last night? No heat! The only time it got hot was when those damned ukkers were farting on me.

2. Ukkers.  Beer-drinking Ukkers.  Rude, Hooligan Beer-drinking Ukkers.  Rude, Hooligan Beer-drinking Ukkers who fart without hesitation or apology reminiscent of Stinky, Beer-drinking Japanese men who sit on a 14 hour flight with a poor unsuspecting girl while her ass friend is oblivious to it all because she is too busy sleeping near the window.

3.  American children.  For some reason, the already young crowd for Arctic Monkeys seemed much younger.  We're not sure why or how they heard this is one of the best bands ever but there they were at Terminal 5 last night and it was embarrassing.  Being a bit of an elitist, I'm not sure why they like Arctic Monkeys because I don't think they're clever enough to keep with Alex's brilliant lyrics.  It boggles the mind, really.

4.  NJ.  More specifically (though need I say more?) Screaming Females.  Arctic Monkeys continues to pick losers for opening acts.  Okay, so Modey Lemon last AM concert were really good live (but note, not so much on disc).  And maybe Screaming Females was not as bad as say B.Y.O.P. but nothing is worse than that other than Seether.  However, Screaming Females need to tighten what they're doing.  As H1 rightly said, the female lead needs to give up writing songs and singing them.  She can keep playing guitar because she's a decent player but other than that, she's keeping the band of rats from getting out of the Bridge and Tunnel.  Also, they need to pick a genre and go with it because they 'sample' way too many and rip off way too many other songs from other bands.

5. Remember Fucking Albert Chung ? Well here we have Fucking Alexa Chung.  When will Alex be smart as we know him to be and ditch that bitch.  She was there last night being an annoyance to my senses.  It was bad enough she was dressed like a hipster, but then she had to act like one too.  And anyone who's got the blood of weople and asians just do not have a chance at being able to dance.  Oh lork, it was like Diddy all over again.  You really have to wonder what people hear when there's a beat to a song.  Rhythm? What's that? More mind boggling stuff, really.

6.  The set list.  Why did we get the exact same set list as the night before? Alex apologised but it's not enough! You couldn't even play "Catapult"?! Or one song different?! Not right, boys.  Lazy!

7.  The sound.  What happened? I've come to realise that every Arctic concert comes with technical difficulties.  But last night was the worst - I can deal with the cutting off of sounds because great banter usually follows but everything sounded as though it was in a vaccum.  While Matthew's drumming just took over everything which to me is not a bad thing being he's the best, we could barely hear Alex at the start.  Who knows where Nick's and The Cookie's sound got to.  I could blame Terminal 5 but having heard NIN there, that'd be a straight out untruth.

8.  "My Propellor".  No, that wasn't my song, H1.  "Red Right Hand" was my song.

9.  My crap photos. Well, I could barely see the stage to begin with (save The Cookie, who I never want to see...he scares the shit out of me), much less get good photos for a band I never get good photos of.

The Highlights:

1.  "Last Christmas" as performed by Matthew Helders.  It.  was.  frickin'.  h-i-l-a-r-i-o-u-s.  And he sounded good.  And it made me enjoy "Fluorescent Adolescent" even more that I usually do (I'm not the biggest fan of that song, it's true).  That performance was nothing short of classic - it involved a stool, shades and an afro sported by my favourite drummer.  That was one of the finer concert moments I've had.



2.  Nick.  I may not have seen him a lot thanks to assholes who shoved their way in front of me but when I did, I felt really happy.  Too bad after all the times I've seen AM, I only now pay attention to him especially since I was right in his face back in August.  Even then when things were quiet then, I wanted shout out to Matthew.  Awww, Nick.  You're my new favourite.  I love how you handle the bass as if it's too awkward for you and you've anything but a bassist cool stance.  It's quite comical watching you play, actually but it's endearing.  And you're a good bassist. 

But please, cut your hair or do something with it.  That goes for the rest of you guys as well.  Except maybe Helders and his 'fro.  I'm liking how funny THAT mess is.

3.  Matthew Helders - the Agile Beast.  He continues to impress, that one.

4.  "Sketchead".  I was really hoping for "Catapult" but this was good too.

5.  Alex.  He couldn't see me, so it was the first time he missed Suga'Face although he may have glanced briefly in my direction.  Ahahaha.  Ah but I was more concerned I couldn't see my bassist. 

6.  For the first time since I've seen them, AM managed to riff new sounds into their set.  They changed up their songs to extended versions with different elements of the guitars and bass and it was fun.  They're comfortable enough now to do that and it was most welcome.

7. H1 and my Imaginary Friend Fred were both there.  Ooo, and H1 finally got to hear "505" and it sounded much better than it did at the Highline Ballroom (save that one screeching bit of the mic).  I've yet to tell TD5 that he may have gotten to hear it first but his sucked compared to H1's experience.

8.  While not the greatest technical sounding show, Arctics blended old with new even better than at Highline.  It was more fun even though the Highline show was great for the first live run of the new album.  Playing "The Jeweller's Hand" to start made the show interesting but mostly dull and I feared another desert experience as back in August but with that out of the way, the rest of the songs were more well-balanced and more frantic, making this show an overall success and not as mellow even if the crowd energy seemed pathetic.

In a way, this show is probably the worst I've seen of them but that's due to the lack of first album material (alright, that bus has come and gone - as someone put it, but those will always be my most fun memories) and the sound (and of course, the venue) but is in no way a reflection of their skills.  They really have come quite a ways, my boys.  I think I might always feel a twinge of sadness that they've matured so much.

9.  Who knew Harry Potter was a member of Screaming Females? And he plays drums!

10. No "Dangerous Animals".  Thank.  GOODNESS.  I 'boring' that song with a passion.

11. The usual banter, and our Number 1 Roadie giving us such great moments as ....

Memorable Quotes and Moments of the Evening:

Alex: New York, this house is a circus.  An observation and an introduction. (he lies of course..there was no circus.  The crowd pretty much sucked).

Alex: I apologise for the same set but I am wearing different boots.  We hope no one's been telling our secret from last night to you folks tonight.  ::and then into "Fluorescent Adolescent" with Matthew's "Last Christmas".::

Alex: Are you feeling good tonight? Of course you are, unlike last night, you've got Friday behind you.

Alex: ::singing:: At the mother-fooking cornerstone...

Matthew's drumstick broke and he threw it in front of him and it fell near Alex.  The number 1 Roadie walked on stage, picked it up complete with being deadpan in the face as he usually is, and threw it right back at Matthew.

The Arctic Monkeys at Terminal 5, NYC on 12/11/2009 Set list:

1.  The Jeweller's Hands
2.  Brianstorm
3.  This House is a Circus
4.  Still Take You Home
5.  Potion Approaching
6.  Red Right Hand (Nick Cave cover)
7.  My Propeller
8.  Crying Lightning
9.  Sketchead
10. I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
11. The View from the Afternoon
12. Cornerstone
13. If You Were There, Beware
14. Pretty Visitors
15. Do Me a Favour
16. Fluorescent Adolescent with Last Christmas (Wham Cover by Matthew Helders)

Encore:

17. Secret Door
18. 505


Currently listening to: "This House is a Circus" and "Catapult" by Arctic Monkeys.

U2: Rockin' the Bad Juju, Part II

After everything, one could only hope that the concert would be at least greatness. Well, it never could be without Sons there but why were there other issues as well?

She's the only reason we were going to see U2 this tour because as we have expressed before, "No Line on the Horizon" is the worst album all year.

Sons eventually did make it, in time to hear 7 songs (and at least they played "Sunday Bloody Sunday" for her) but not before getting into a cab and being told by those idiots at LaGuardia that they had no idea how to get to Giants Stadium.

First, the highlights:

1. The partial truth is that we stuck out getting a refund for the concert tix because of Sons. I truly wanted to go in the first place because MUSE were supporting U2. So, the number 1 highlight OF COURSE, are my boys.





They killed it!





2. The new songs sounded amazing as expected and apparently Matt has a new song for me that he plays during concert.

The Black Holes and Revelations song for Suga'Face was "Map of the Problematique".

The Resistance song for Suga'Face is "Undisclosed Desires".

I'm not sure if I should be flattered or highly embarrassed.



3. Dom was very cute, with his new haircut and all. And he really tore it up this time around. He was all smiles and loving every minute of it.



4. H1 even managed to clap correctly through "Starlight"!

I cannot wait to see them for their US Tour which happens next year and TD5 is coming!

5. U2's Claw. I was not really feeling that claw for months and most of the night until it lit up during a certain song (forgotten which one) and then like a disco ball during "Ultraviolet". I may not like that song but when Bono was swinging from the microphone/wii wheel and the light just went all 'round the stadium, that was some impressive shart right there.







6. Their remix of "I'll Go Crazy if I Don't Go Crazy Tonight" was funny. The vids that went with just made it ever more ridiculous. Loved it!

7. That one sista' who was there LOVING every minute of U2. Kudos to her, man.

8. U2's intro being Bowie's "Space Oddity". Bowie's the best and probably the only really great thing U2 pulled that night. Har har.

9. Oh yeah, knowing MUSE's set list was all the more fantastic on our night than on the 24th? Good times, that.

The Lowlamps:

1. WTF, MUSE! No "Unnatural Selection"?! Guess I'll have to wait until your own US Tour to hear it. If I see that you play it on any of these dates, I will be verrrry unhappy...especially if TD5 gets it! Psh.

2. The crowd energy at MUSE. I mean, the crowd period. What crowd? No one really turned up and only a handful of us were going nuts up in there. ::sigh:: Ah well. At least when they roll back the footage from Giants Stadium, they'll see me going crazy.

3. Kids. Those kids in front of us. What the hell were they doing there for U2. How dull they were - they didn't dance, they barely moved. Sticks, that's what they were. Sticks. Not that I think they could have danced not being blessed with dancing genes and all but honestly? A little emotion for your parents-bought $98.00 tickets would have been appreciated.

4. U2's set list. This should be number one, truthfully. U2's set list was god awful. We were originally supposed to be night 2 and would have gotten the better set list that was instantly made cooler by the inclusion of "Until the End of the World" and "Stay (Faraway, So Close)" but alas, as discussed before we were just assed out of everything.

5. MUSE's sad barely-45 minutes-appeal-to-US-mainstream-bastards set list. It's not their fault...they had to play what they released but it was a downer.

6. Turns out I didn't get to even see MUSE/the boys' assbacks but more the back of their heads. Blessed or unlucky? Not really sure...

7. Okay U2. How old are you guys now? Bono sounded...odd. And sometimes, which was noticeable to me, they were not in sync with each other. Was I the only one picking up on that? It really threw me off.

8. H1's scream for Larry when he first came on stage. We made a pact that we were so disgruntled by their shenanigans that we would not support the band much in protest. As soon as Larry walked on to the stage though, H1 started screaming. She looked at me and said, "I'm sorry...I just kind of forgot myself. Sorry."

Hm. I was unimpressed by you, H1.

9. No good pics. Again. Really need to invest in a better camera for shows...

10. Gyrating girls. Oh. My. Eyes. H1 may have very well vomited right then and there but I caught a glimpse and she would not have been in the wrong. It was quite the worst thing I've seen in a long time. S-c-a-r-y. Thank goodness I didn't get a picture. That would have burnt a hole in the blog.

11. Being in NJ for the 2nd time that week. Yeesh.

12. Having to give up Yeah Yeah Yeahs tickets to attend this hellified trash of an evening (MUSE never are but you know... we just had a rotten time overall). ::sniff:: These used to be The HOchieS' tickets:



At least they didn't go to waste...

MUSE @ Giants Stadium on 9/23/2009 Set List:

1. Intro (same one at Wembley Stadium! Nice!)
2. America (Aww, that was just really classic of them - playing their rock version of "West Side Story")
3. Hysteria
4. Supermassive Black Hole
5. Resistance
6. United States of Eurasia
7. Starlight
8. Undisclosed Desires
9. "The Fly" (U2 riff cover) + Time is Running Out
10. Uprising
11. Knights of Cydonia

U2 360 Tour @ Giants Stadium on 9/23/2009:

1. Breathe
2. Magnificent
3. Get On Your Boots
4. Mysterious Ways
5. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
6. She's The One / Desire (Medley featuring partial cover of Bruce Springsteen's "She's The One")
7. Elevation
8. Your Blue Room
9. Beautiful Day "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" snippet
10. No Line on the Horizon
11. New Year's Day
12. Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
13. The Unforgettable Fire
14. City Of Blinding Lights
15. Vertigo
16. I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight (remix)
17. Sunday Bloody Sunday
18. MLK
19. Walk On
20. "Amazing Grace" (Snippet)/One
21. Where The Streets Have No Name / "All You Need Is Love" (snippet)

Encore:

22. Ultraviolet (Light My Way)
23. With Or Without You
24. Moment of Surrender

More pics of the claw:





Best Performances by U2 of the evening:

Or 2's pick - "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out of" (Did Bono really dedicate it to Ernie Anastos of Fox News for his ' "Effin'" a chicken ' slip?

H1's pick - "Ultraviolet"

Best Performances by MUSE of the evening:

Or 2's picks: "America" It was fun.

H1's pick: Probably "Starlight". She loves that one. I don't know why.

Currently listening to: "Doubt & Trust" by Access, from the "D. Gray-man" Original Soundtrack, and "Space Oddity" by David Bowie.

U2: Rockin' The Bad Juju, Part I

It may not happen often but sometimes, even though the signs are very clear, I choose to ignore warnings of ill.

From the start, I probably should have known nothing good would come of the U2 September 25th Giants Stadium gig, when purchasing those 6 tickets compromised one of my credit cards - the good one that used to give me Amazon Gift Certificates.

Being treated as a criminal and accused of being someone else is not enough of an omen for me, I suppose.

Then one month before the concert, the date of the show was changed from Friday to Wednesday.

Wha'?

So, just to keep track of it all, our friend Sons along with others all over the world flying out to this show, were SCREWED air fare, hotel fare, work hours etc etc to facilitate a changed date schedule for a religious holiday two days later, that required the NY Jets to re-schedule their game.

Wha'?

Yes. Due to the fact that a particular religious denomination cannot possibly adhere to their chosen faith AND miss a Jets game (honestly, priorities of your choosing, anyone?), U2 fans from all over had to re-book flights, lose money and curse just to go to this effin' show two days earlier.

Please note that U2's excuse was that it was infeasible for them to pull down their stage setting in the three hours less time they were allotted.

Never mind they are stinking filthy wealthy bastards who can hire the extra hands to assist in a moving; and never mind they played a show in MA on the 21st which ended at 11:10 PM or so - had to dismantle the set, pack it up, drive it to NJ only to set it up again for the 23d.

My math may be awful but I'm fairly certain that I am coming to the same conclusion to the equation set forth herein.

Result: We were assed out for no really good reason.

Things do not end there.

Finally deciding to buy tickets for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs Radio City Music Hall concert on the 23RD for H1's birthday present, suddenly became a problem.

Equation: YYY + 23 / U2 + 23
Result: whYYYU2...?!?!?! (x23)

Amazing acoustics, great seats and a chance to sing "Zero" with H1 on a nice, relaxing evening just went out the window because Sons changed her flight to come see U2 on the 23rd.

Things, as they say, can ALWAYS be worse.

Here's another for you -

Equation: $170 dollars changing fee + 10 hours of work for 10 days straight just to get 2 days off to come to NYC to see U2 and then having your flight cancelled 3 hours before the concert due to equipment failure = ?
Result: Nightmare. Absolute friggin' nightmare.

We bought a cake of the chocolate double temptation kind - a cake for H1's and Sons' Birthday, and a reminder of why we should be drowing our sorrows from this horrible experience in a chocolatey overload of chocolate mousse, cheese cake, fudge and chocolate ganache:



Currenlty listening to: "Fell in Love with a Girl" - by The White Stripes.

The Beginning of the End

It was hot.

We were all ready to pass out, truly.

It was sweaty.

We were all sweaty but Trent was the sweatiest of us all.

It was plagued by a more than a few completely aggressive, idiotic sorry excuses for humans.

But we all had to be a little bit on the side of aggressive last night to combat what we were thrown into.

Despite the dehydration, disgust, and detestable behaviour on behalf of some, I made it finally...

And saw one of the best shows, from one of my favourite bands on one of their final tour dates in their 20 year long career.

The Nine Inch Nails "Wave Goodbye" Tour 8/25/2009 @ Terminal 5, NYC Set List:

Anticipation Has a Habit to Set You Up

For disappointment?

I'm having mixed feelings, I am.

For one, I'm still very pissed that H1 missed, no fault on her part, her chance to go see Arctic Monkeys (Oye, H1, it's no fault of mine either!).

More so, when TD5 and I got to the Highline Ballroom, the place was so incredibly tiny that it didn't matter where you stood - there'd be a clear shot of the stage!

Feeling rather hateful and wishing I had some chicken bones, TD5 and I did the next best thing we could do to calm nerves - go to the bar for some drinks.

I'd just like to point out that I drank almost every day TD5 and I went out. Who's the bad influence?!

Anyway, so in addition to feeling cranky that H1 and Beetchie were not in attendance, I was also very excited.

Yet, there was something off.

Was it the fact that I couldn't bear to sit through another horrible opener as Arctic Monkeys likes to pick 'em?

Was it the feeling that my nemesis was in the room somewhere?

Was it having to deal yet again, with the little biatch, obnoxious children that attend their shows? Did I have to get nasty with peeps...for a third time?

Or was it that I was just really nervous that I would hate the new songs?

The Arctic Monkeys at The Highline Ballroom on 08/03/2009 Set list:

1. Pretty Visitors
2. This House Is A Circus
3. Brianstorm
4. Still Take You Home
5. Da Frame 2R
6. Dangerous Animals
7. Crying Lightning
8. Fluorescent Adolescent
9. Cornerstone
10. The View From The Afternoon
11. I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor
12. Leave Before The Lights Come On
13. Potion Approaching
14. If You Were There, Beware
15. Red Right Hand (Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds cover)
16. My Propeller
17. Only Ones Who Know
18. Do Me A Favour

Encore:

19. Secret Door
20. 505

Oh...that's what it was! The feeling I'd get when H1 blazed me for their playing "505"! I would not be able to handle the fury!

The Low-Lamps:

1. I have two evil nemeses now. The one that's standing in Suga'Face's way and has AT torn was there. I didn't see her, but I didn't need to. That bitch was there and I could sense it. It's okay though, he still looked at me. Twice.

2. "505". I can't believe those effs actually played it. We blame TD5. I was really sad this went down since H1 was not there and this is the one song she really wants to see them perform live.

3. The ugly merch. Really. I hope they release better t-shirts soon. That Matt Helders inspired hippy desert Native American theme is really horrid. Well, whatever. I can still rock it.

4. P. Effin' Diddy. Honestly. Sometimes I wish Matt would stop being friends with suspect people so that they stop showing up at my concerts. He and his entourage were annoying and the fact that Diddy Can't Dance makes for horrendous times. He did some version of the Running Man which is already a stupid ass move, to something he must have been hearing in his head because it certainly wasn't a beat kept by AM. During "Do Me a Favour". Ugh.

5. I did not see the Cookie very well. It's not really a bad thing though. He scares me, that Hooligan.

6. The new songs. Okay, so they're not really low-lamps. They sounded quite good and they are really good but I think it was the entire atmosphere half way through the set that had me feeling a little bit sad. AM started strong - all intense songs, all old songs, some of the new ones. But then, Arctic Monkeys changed. They toned out their concert vibe. They chilled out at the tail end.

When did they become such a super-serious, doom and gloom, "where's-the-fun?" kind of band?

They've matured. A lot. No longer are they the boys from Sheffield who are too shy to speak.

They're very confident now, which makes them better players and gives them better stage presence and it's not a horrible thing, but it's also not a very fun feeling either.

I didn't think they'd NOT change. How could they not? And I'm happy they're going off and creating different records because if it's one thing they can do, it's create a unique sound every time, but I guess I just need the time to let it sink in.

The bottom line is that it's all fun and games until some biatch comes around and "Yoko Ono"'s your band.

Yes, I went there.

I'm with you, rest of the band! You guys are still great! It's that ass who's the problem!

7. The almost complete absence of songs from the first album. WTF! No "Dancing Shoes"?! And they didn't even end with "A Certain Romance"! =(

The Highlights:

1. TD5 ACTUALLY finally agreed to come to a concert with me! All the way from Trinidad, he flew! That was a pleasant surprise but it just reminds me and angers up the blood that he's going to see MUSE at some no name Raymond James Stadium (eh? It has a name? but who knows it?) in FL. Psh.

2. That annoying rich, privileged Asian child was not there. Hooray!

3. Surprisingly, I was no where near obnoxious AM fans. In fact, I met some nice kids.

4. Okay. Can you people believe it? The opening act were actually...really good. Quite good. For a while, I was confused as to where I was. Their drummer was trying to channel Dave Grohl but there's nothing not cool about that. TD5 described them best when he called them "intense". Yes, Modey Lemon certainly were. Why didn't I buy one of their shirts instead?

5. Sound Problems. I don't know what's up with Arctic Monkeys but they're always plagued with sound problems. Their sound cut after the intro to "Pretty Visitors" for a long time, and then again later on. It was funny and they were good about it, as were the crowd. They made jokes. We laughed. And we were happy when they launched right back into it.

6. Alex's banter. So, he's talking a lot more now, and he's funny. He hit us with a few good memorable quotes:

"I've noticed some of you suspiciously singing along. So we have a new record coming out soon, it's called 'umbug. With a Hey-che."
And repeated the promotion of the album after the sound failed again.

At the end of "Leave Before The Lights Come On", he said "Thank you, I can walk to there by myself." to the bus stop.

7. Matt's banter with their number one roadie. I really need to go look his name up because it escapes me. But those two were having a blast while Matt was playing. It was cute. And Matt still managed to keep his beat even while distracted.

8. Nick! I don't care what H1 says, Nick O'MALLEY is a cutie and I like him. Nick O'Fatty he is not. You are wrong, H1!

9. The New songs. I don't think I'll be upset by the new album, which has me relieved that at least one of my bands won't completely fail me this music year. Already I had to suffer disappointment from Franz Ferdinand, U2 (big time!), The Streets (or was that late last year?), and some others I'm just not really remembering right now. It's also not looking too hot for MUSE right now, so I'm not holding my breath.

The new songs from AM are good. They're different. They're arranged oddly and I like them. I also like their cover of Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds' "Red Right Hand".

10. I managed to snap "decent" pictures...for once! of AM! It's amazing, really.

I don't know why the other two in Modey Lemon looked like metal men but the lead singer looked like a preppy.



The Cookie's in there some place



I could actually see Matt tear up the drums for "Brianstorm" this time! Except I was too busy jumping to look at him...maybe next time?



Nick O'MALLEY.



Such a clear shot for some chicken bones







My favourite thing of the evening



Currently listening to: "Red Right Hand" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

All Points West

Every time I make a declaration that I'll never step foot in New Jersey, some thing happens that finds me slumming it in that forsaken marsh of smelliness that is that state.

I was seriously considering getting tickets for this event for the Saturday August 1 st date but ultimately decided, as I always do, that going to NJ is just not worth my time.

And then VIP passes, for free, to the Music Festival All Points West at Liberty State Park in NJ kinda fell into my lap on Thursday afternoon.

While not the Saturday show I wanted to go to, Free! (did I mention "free"?) VIP Passes, a free round trip on the Ferry and a chance to see Yeah Yeah Yeahs after wanting to for a while and not having luck with that, the choice really was clear.

I'd have to trek to Assland for the greater good.





Plus, TD5 would get to see Vampire Weekend - a band he loves, as well as Yeah Yeah Yeahs and I'd get to show him that The National are pretty damned good and he should be more appreciative of their music that I tried to throw at him at some point last year.

Oh, and I'd get to finally see what the big deal about Fleet Foxes was all about.

All Points West 2009 @ Liberty State Park on 7/31/2009:

The Low-Lamps:

1. Fleet Foxes.



To think I could have slept at the hotel for a bit instead of rushing to NJ sooner and for longer than necessary. TD5 and I both agree that this was pure shart. We don't know what was up with this band but they are horrendous!

The hippiness really got to me.

The 'harmonious sound' really got to TD5.

I really wanted to pass out from boredom and they just seemed to go on forever, and ever. And ever.

It was so bad, that as soon as they took the stage, they summoned rain clouds and thunderstorms threatened us although it was really muggy before, so the cool wind was very welcome at the time.

The only redeeming thing about Fleet Foxes was that they had personality but honestly, it wasn't enough to save our ears from bleeding.

Memorable Quotes:

"I feel like we're wizards on stage here." - lead singer, Fleet Foxes.
"Yeah, I'm going to ride off the stage on a white horse." - drummer, Fleet Foxes

Nerds.

2. New Jersey. Liberty State Park was as expected. Smelly. After it torrential down poured on us, it was even worse. It was smelly AND muddy. Never before have I been witness to so much ugly and mud before in one area. Gross.

Here's a shot of the main stage -



3. Mud People. Ugly mud people. Ugly mud people who insisted they get all hippy with their bad dancing. Ugly mud people who insisted they get all hippy with their bad dancing right next to where TD5 and I stood.

TD5 half wished they would fall into it but I really don't think they would have cared if they did.



4. That nasty feeling one gets after being in NJ. It's almost as if nothing you do will wash away that stench and grime. And sometimes, nothing can. My poor shoes are proof of that.



5. Getting booted from the VIP Bleachers. Everyone knows that there are certain places you do not want to be near during a lightning storm and unfortunately, the VIP Bleachers was one of those places. What sucked even more was that we got stormed out right after The National performed, before Vampire Weekend and during most of their set. So, at least we know they sound really good but we did not really get a chance to see them very well from the Beer Tent where TD5 and I found shelter from the storm.

Sorry TD5...

Vampire Weekend from the Beer Tent -



6. TD5 and his inability to tell me things of importance. For instance, the debacle that went down involving our being able to come back to All Points West on Saturday for free. Due to the horrendous rain, Friday Ticket Holders were allowed to come back for free on any of the other two days. TD5 heard the announcement by Vampire Weekend and I did not. So, thanks to him, H1 and I missed our chance to see Tool, Arctic Monkeys and Tokyo Police Club. WTF! WTF, TD5! Thanks. I'm still a little bit bitter, as you can tell.

7. Q-Tip. On our long trek back to civilization, ie the ferry back to NYC, we heard Q-Tip at another tent. He sounded horrid.

8. If not for having had enough of NJ, and being way tired, I think I would have stayed for Jay-Z. He's probably one of the few rappers I respect somewhat and I heard he brought his orchestra. So I missed seeing him perform and it was a bit of a lowlamp because I heard him on my way out and he sounded pretty decent. Ah well. See how quickly I got over that?

9. Once again, The National managed to butcher performing my favourite song by them, "Mistaken For Strangers". Again, The National? What's up with that?

10. I'm fairly certain I saw that smelly kid from way back when I went to I think, Muse at Hammerstein on the ferry ride to APW. That was not cute for my nose.

11. Not having H1 there as well. And also, not being BACK at All Points West for Arctic Monkeys and Tool with H1. Thanks again, TD5! That's right, you will not hear the end of this.

12. Being so close to NYC but not being able to escape, nooooooooooooo....! Freedom! So close!



13. The Statue of Liberty showing me its ass. Not only animals do this to me, but the Statue of Liberty too?! It's not right!



The Highlights:

1. Getting off the ferry back in NYC was awesome. Even the rain puddles were different and everything just seemed so less scary, even if it was Crooklyn. Har Har.

2. The National. It was fun seeing them a second time, even if this time I barely saw them from the side line thanks to the rain. I did like that the lead singer jumped into the crowd and rolled with the punches the rain was throwing at them. That was cool of him and not something I expected. He didn't sound too fabulous but the rest of the band sounded truly great. They also performed a new song which was really good and I'm kinda looking forward to their next album, whenever that may be.

Also, the fact that TD5 likes them now makes me happy.



3. Vampire Weekend. I can't say I'm a fan nor have I listened to their album to have a real opinion but they sounded really great live. I can see the appeal and I'm glad I got to hear them live instead of a studio album. Though, that might just make me not want to listen to a studio album now knowing just how great they sound live. Uh oh.



4. My gross dry sausage sandwich and my cheesey fries. I enjoyed it but mostly because I was really starvin' marvin.

5. The VIP Bleachers were good while they lasted. I also did not understand the NinjAnts.



6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs

6.1 Making sure TD5 was completely cured of his vertigo and that the swirly eyeball would not bring back his Lucille 2 Persona. It was only a highlight because it was funny and turned out he'd be okay.



6.2 Where's waldo? Rather, where's the eyeball? Floating over someone's head? Scary!



Karen O. was crazy as expected. I'm not sure what she was wearing... but her performance was classic.



Brian Chase was cool and I rather enjoyed that he never stopped beating those drums and that Yeah Yeah Yeahs continued each song in their set on his playing. All songs rolled one after the other with Chase's drumming as the connecting factor.



Then there's my Nick Zinner, who I love but curse him for not wanting to show his face so that I could get a picture, not to mention that stupid giant mounted crane camera kept getting in my way...



They performed lots of the good stuff - many songs from the new album, although not "Hysteric" which saddened me nor did they do "Rockers to Swallow". They also did an acoustic, stripped down version of "Maps", which while not the best was still cool.

7. The "destruction" of the microphone. Karen O. tried very hard to destroy that mic but it just wasn't happening but it was just not quite in league with her plans. It showed her!



The Yeah Yeah Yeahs 7/31/2009 @ All Points West Setlist:

1. Heads Will Roll
2. Cheated Hearts
3. Black Tongue
4. Zero
5. Human Fly (The Cramps cover)
6. Gold Lion
7. Honeybear
8. Turn Into
9. Skeletons
10. Soft Shock
11. Maps (Acoustic)
12. Y Control
13. Date With The Night

Best Song Performance from YYY: "Black Tongue".

Probably one of the best things to end the night was knowing I didn't have to rush to catch the bloody train back home and could actually stay in midtown that night. Phew, that was a relief and cool.

When we got back to midtown, I took TD5 to Sapporo for ramen, discovered they had a new menu of little eats such as kare-age which I had, and in need of a drink, I got a sapporo. Sorry, Beetchie! I'll try to not drink without you again because I know it's random I do and decided to do it when you were not there.

I know, I'm awful.

Currently listening to: "For Your Life" by Led Zeppelin.