CONCERT REVIEW: Guster on Valentine's Day

After winning some tickets courtesy of a Twitter contest, I decided to drive up to Orlando and spend my Valentines Day with Guster. The long time indie rock band was playing House of Blues. For those of you that might know Guster, they hail from Boston and formed in 1991.

Guster was finishing up a winter tour in support of their new album - Evermotion. It's been a while since I've been impressed with new material from this band, but this most recent work is very strong. Lead single "Simple Machine" leads a group of tunes that have found a new and more energetic sound. Lead singers Adam Gardner and Ryan Miller nicely mixed these new tunes in a lengthy setlist.

One of the most entertaining things about Guster is that in addition to being musically gifted, they also are comedians. The guys told stories from their day, which included a spontaneous trip to the east coast of Florida for some surfing. Miller explained how they hit some traffic coming back and actually missed sound check. He said it was all to get away from the touristy hub of 'Downtown Disney,' in an effort to find 'Authentic Florida.'

Their storytelling even led to an impromptu performance of a Florida based song. It was very reminiscent of something former tour mates, Barenaked Ladies, would put together. The guys also joked about the self-named 'Guster Reverse Curse,' which references how many of Guster's former openers have gone on to win Grammy's and find commercial success. Some examples are John Mayer, Marroon 5, and FUN. 

Guster definitely does not have the mainstream success of any of those bands, but they've built up a solid fan base throughout their 20 year career. That following still runs strong today as I'd say the venue was about 90% full. The guys commented on how Florida shows are still well attended, and they thanked everyone for spending their Valentines Day with them.

Those fans were rewarded with a 22 song set featuring a fair variety of all Guster's albums. I was personally satisfied as they played 5 songs from my favorite Guster album - Keep It Together. Although I was definitely hoping to hear my overall favorite Guster tune - "One More Wrecking Machine."

That one never came but they still kept the crowd entertained with some of their biggest hits. The best sing a long of the evening was for 2003 hit "Careful." Top song (according to Spotify) "Amsterdam" also received a great reception.

The show had a very appropriate ending as the four core members abandoned their instruments for an acapella version of "Jesus on the Radio." This was quite the intimate finish. As the guys took their final bows, ping pong balls started flying from all directions up onto the stage. (Guster fans should know the reference) Overall, fun night. Good band that still has it.

CONCERT RATING: 3 Stars




SETLIST:
1. Demons
2. Center of Attention
3. Doin' It By Myself
4. What You Call Love
5. Ramona
6. Architects & Engineers
7. Endlessly
8. Kid Dreams
9. Satellite
10. Come Downstairs and Say Hello
11. Do You Love Me
12. Lazy Love
13. I Spy
14. Dear Valentine
15. Improv Jam 'authentic Florida'
16. Gangway
17. The Beginning of the End
18. On the Ocean
19. Manifest Destiny
20. Simple Machine
21. This Could All Be Yours

Encore:
22. Long Night
23. Diane
24. Never Coming Down
25. Amsterdam

Encore #2:
26. Jesus on the Radio (unplugged, in the round)

Concert Review: Charles Bradley (The Screaming Eagle of Soul) Live from Crowbar

One of the more interesting shows I’ve seen over the past couple years went down at Crowbar a few weeks back. The soulful singer by the name of Charles Bradley was stopping in Ybor on route down to Miami for a music themed cruise. He was greeted to an almost sold out crowd.

The most distinguishable thing about Charles Bradley is that he is 66 years old. Yes, you read that correctly. Now you may think, Wow! This guy has been making music his entire life, and still has it going for him in his 60’s! Well that’s not exactly the case. His story is by no means a Springsteen comparison. Bradley actually lived a somewhat troubled life, moving from city to city often and struggling for work. He played some music on the side but cooking was his main profession. It was only in the past 10 years that Bradley aimed to make a profession of his skills.

Through hard work and never giving up, Bradley debuted his album back in 2011, when he was just 62 years of age. The man has since followed that up with 2013 sophomore album, Victim of Love.

You can tell that finally making it in the music industry has left Bradley with much gratitude. From the minute he took the stage, he sang with much passion and emotion. He constantly thanked fans throughout the set for spending their evening with him. At points I thought he was going to break down in tears. 

Bradley swayed and danced through a set that featured equal material from both of his albums. For casual music fans, "The World (Is Going Up in Flames)" and "How Long" are his most recognizable tunes. Those received the loudest receptions and Bradley showed off his impressive powerful vocals. It's no coincidence that his nickname is the 'Screaming Eagle of Soul.' 

Even if you didn't know the material, Bradley still made things interesting for the audience. The 66 year old had multiple outfit changes, and would remove layer after layer of clothing by swinging it around his head before tossing it to the side of the stage. That definitely had the crowd going. It also helped that the screaming eagle has an excellent backing band, appropriately named 'the Extraordinaires.' The backing group definitely picked things up whenever they got a bit long. 

A negative of the show was that the sound quality was very weak. Crowbar has never been known for its acoustics, but that night seemed to be worse than normal. Bradley remarked constantly throughout the evening that he could not even hear himself singing, and it was getting in the way of him putting on the best show possible. He continued to apologize as nothing could improve the sound during the performance. 

But never the less, still a worthwhile show. I don't think I'll be rushing back to a Charles Bradley gig anytime soon, but I wouldn't steer anyone away from seeing him. He's an entertaining performer and could be the closest thing to seeing Otis Redding today. 

CONCERT RATING: 2.5 Stars

video courtesy of jools...

CONCERT REVIEW: Cherub at Baltimore Soundstage

Last spring, electronic rock band Cherub played an absolute free show in Ybor. The event was sponsored by Red Bull and they toured new cities with no admission price. They came by Tampa on a Monday night and a few hundred people showed up. You can read the full review of that experience here.

Over the past 9 months, the Nashville duo has released another album and there fan base has probably quadrupled. So much in fact that they had no trouble selling out the Baltimore Soundstage at a capacity of 1,000. The timing worked out perfectly as I was in DC for the weekend for Dr Dog at the 9:30. So a quick train ride over and we were in Baltimore.

After an awesome time bar hopping in the Fells Point district (definitely the coolest area if you're traveling to Baltimore) we made it over to the soundstage. Cherub didn't hit the stage til 11pm, following two DJ sets. The duo is comprised of Jordan Kelley and Jason Huber. Most of the music is pre-recorded, as Keley provides the vocals. Huber also sings and adds in some nice guitar overplay.

The energy at the show was spectacular as the crowd was jamming from the start. Cherub opened with fan favorite "Disco Shit," right into "XOXO." The crowd jumped, danced, grinded and sang along. It definitely felt more like a club or even a rave than a standard concert. After seeing Shovels and Rope just two nights earlier, this was like night and day.

Cherub has three albums out now and they played material from all, but a bit heavier from their newest album - Year of the Caprese. I believe the strongest song of the night was from their debut -MoM and Dad, with "Monogomy," which was played in the early part of the show. Following that single, the guys didn't waste any time. They flowed one song into the next, never letting the music die down. They fit 18 songs into their set, staying high energy the entire time.

They took a very brief break following their set closer before coming back on stage for their most popular tune - "Doses and Mimosas." This single has actually been so successful that they re-released it on their third album. The opening notes sent the crowd into a huge frenzy.

Overall impressions - it's been cool seeing this band grow over the past year. They should continue to get bigger but I don't imagine the venues they play getting larger. They're a band that benefits the most from playing small clubs, as it creates a more intimate setting. The main take away is that crowds for Cherub shows are nuts! Get ready for a dancing experience. I guarantee nobody you're standing around will be a stranger by the end of the night.

Concert Rating: 3 Stars


SETLIST:

1. Disco Shit
2. XOXO
3. Heartbreaker
4. Monogamy
5. Freaky Me, Freaky You
6. Minez Yourz
7. Do I (Where We Are)
8. Work the Middle
9. This Song Is For You
10. Where We Should Be
11. Lifesaver
12. Tonight
13. Jazzercise 95'
14. Chocolate Strawberries
15. Best Friend's T-Shirt
16. Strip To This
17. <3

Encore:
18. Doses and Mimosas

CONCERT REVIEW: Dr. Dog Live from the 9:30 Club

One of my all time favorite concert stories took place at the Gasparilla Music Fest in 2013. Some friends and I went to the festival taking place in downtown Tampa mainly to see the band Dawes. Along the way we scored some VIP tix and unlimited access to a complimentary bar, which led to quite the concert buzz. Actually, the buzz was so intense that we had the confidence to sneak backstage to meet Dawes and then hang in the artist village for the rest of the night.

Among the many adventures of being backstage at a music festival, we found ourselves wandering onto a tour bus to meet the lead singer of Philly rock band - Dr. Dog. We had no idea who Toby Leaman was, nor any songs from his strangely named band. But of course we faked that we were big fans, and ended up drinking with him for a few hours. Cool guy, and great concert memory. (Fuzzy memory I should say)

Following that night, I looked up Dr. Dog and am happy to now say that they have grown into one of my favorite bands. I had been itching to see them again ever since that GMF show. But despite a quick set opening up for The Lumineers, they haven't been back to Florida since that night. So taking matters into my own hands, I decided to travel for them and flew up to DC for the weekend.

In addition to finally getting to see Dr. Dog again, a big benefit of this trip was that the show took place and the famous 9:30 Club. This small venue is rich in musical history. Dave Grohl visited it hundreds of times as a teenager when it was the go to spot for underground punk rock. It has since turned into a more mainstream venue that is a staple for all up and coming bands to play when going through DC. You can look up practically any list of best small music venues in the country and you'll see 9:30 towards the top.

The place was so iconic that there wasn't even a sign that says 9:30 as you entered. It didn't look like much, and it actually wasn't in the best area of town. But regardless, you could tell there was great musical energy in the room. (But for the record, my favorite it still the Metro) We walked in to the sounds of opener Family Spirit Reunion getting the night started.

Just after 10pm, Dr Dog took the stage and went right into some of their more up tempo numbers with "Distant Light" and "Phenomenon." These were followed up by a smooth cover of "Heart it Races," originally recorded by Architecture in Helsinki.

Leaman took the spot at center stage but he is by no means the only lead singer. Guitarists Scott McMicken and Frank McElroy mainly sung together for about 50% of the tunes on the night. McMicken is actually childhood best friends with Leaman and he sings some of the groups best known songs.

Dr. Dog had the sold out crowd loving it as they played material from all of their 8 albums. Toby slowed things down at times, including a captivating "Too Weak to Ramble," but there was no point where the show ever was boring. For every slower tune, the next was an attention grabbing comeback.

The strongest portion of the evening came towards the end of the set, with heavyweights "Shadow People," "These Days" and "Lonesome" all closing out the performance. If there's any Dr. Dog song that casual music fans would recognize, it's "Shadow People." The familiar opening lines turned the 9:30 Club into what seemed like a drunk group karaoke session.

My favorite part of the night was the encore, as the guys came back out on stage with even more energy to rip through four of their best tunes. The final of the night was quirky closer "That Old Black Hole," where Dr Dog shows off their unique lyric ability. I'm pretty sure they're the only band I know that would rhyme pillow with armadillo.

Overall, it was excellent to see Dr. Dog and and just as cool to cross 9:30 off the music venue bucket list. I'd definitely come back for another show here. Oh, and the night had quite the proper ending as well. After hitting a few bars after the show, we circled back to the venue and saw Toby having a cigarette outside the tour bus. Upon asking if he remembered that night in Tampa, he thought about it and laughed, saying he very clearly remembered a group of wasted guys coming onto the bus for some beers. He was all laughs about it though and told us to look for him at Shaky Knees. We'll be there for sure!

Concert Rating: 3.5 Stars

SETLIST:

1. The Rabbit, The Bat, and the Reindeer
2. Distant Light
3. Phenomenon
4. Heart It Races
5. Heavy Light
6. Too Weak to Ramble
7. Today
8. Army of Ancients
9. Be the Void
10. Broken Heart
11. Shadow People
12. Alaska
13. Black-Red
14. These Days
15. We All Belong
16. Lonesome

ENCORE:
17. The Truth
18. Nellie
19. How Long Must I Wait?
20. That Old Black Hole


And of course...have to throw in the tiny desk video:

Mumford & Sons Debut New Single: 'Believe'

Today marked the much anticipated debut single from Mumford and Sons new album – Wilder Mind. Now DISCLAIMER: Mumford front man himself, Marcus, said that this album would be drastically different, and by no means would be Babel part 2. Now initially, this was disappointing news. After all, Babel won the Grammy for Album of the Year and is regarded by The Only Music Blog as one of the top 10 greatest albums of all time. But….the Mumford's are already labelled as one of those bands where each song sounds like the last, so experimentation and new sounds could work for them.

So now that lead single “Believe” is finally released…..my first thought is that Marcus wasn’t lying. I listened to the debut of "Believe" today and kept expecting the banjos to drop at the end of each line. That never quite happened.

However, this song did bring with it a new sound, and new potential for Mumford and Sons. Although we won’t hear the banjo on this upcoming album, we already have plenty of it from Babel and debut album Sigh No More. The potential of these new electric songs that seem to have a deeper, indie cut, mixed with the folk rock numbers we have come to love, seems like it can bring the Mumford's to a new level. I’m already fantasizing about the possibilities at live shows.

I’m sure I wasn’t alone by immediately thinking of Coldplay as this song opened up. But it grew to something better than that. The driving pickup is passionate and the remainder of the song is very musically sound, leading all the way to the close. It reminded me more of something I would hear from Local Natives, rather than a lead single built for radio.

For fans that have been with Mumford since the beginning, this tune may come as a disappointment. I mean, it’s nowhere near as satisfying as ferocious lead single “I Will Wait” off Babel. But to be honest, big fans of debut albums typically are disappointed with follow up albums. It’s extremely rare when each album can satisfy fans as much as the last (hats off to Arcade Fire here). But I believe this single sets up the album well.

The Mumford’s are so talented musically, that it’s going to be fun to see them grow with this album. Wilder Minds comes out May 4^th.

Single Rating: 3.5 Stars