Concert Review: Arcade Fire Worth the Seven Year Wait

The story of my Arcade Fire fanhood starts on February 24, 2007. I was watching Saturday Night Live, in support of Dwight Shrute (really Rainn Wilson) on NBC's "The Office." Dwight was hosting, and a Canadian group by the name of Arcade Fire was the musical guest.

The first song the band performed on that show, and first I've ever heard from them, was "Intervention." I watched as the large group performed on the small SNL stage as if they were playing their final show ever, putting every ounce of energy into those 4 minutes. The song even concluded with frontman Win Butler slamming his guitar, swing after swing, against the floor. A bit over the top? Maybe. But did they captivate my attention? Yes.

Shortly after that performance, things started rolling with myself and Arcade Fire. I discovered Funeral, which is still in my top 5 today of my all time favorite albums. You then had the album that "Intervention" calls home - Neon Bible. After that came the Grammy Award winning The Suburbs, giving the band the recognition it finally deserves. And then after a 3 year break came Reflektor.

4 amazing albums. Each one 4+ stars. Countless days and hours of listening to these guys over the past 7 and a half years. But I've never been able to see them live. That all changed Friday night.

Since the self-called "Reflektor's" decided not to include Florida in their world tour stops, I had to travel up to New York City for this one. They played 3 nights at Barclays Center, and I scored tix to both the Friday and Saturday night shows.

Opening up for Arcade Fire was The Unicorns, a band that Arcade Fire actually opened up for 10 years earlier. The three piece group didn't do much for me, and the crowd was restless and just very ready for the headliner.

After The Unicorns left the stage, there was about a 45 minute break before Arcade Fire would begin. During this time, DJ Dan Deacon set up a small "B stage" at the back end of the floor. At first, most of the general admission crowd would not dare leave the area of the main stage. But Dan proved to be very interactive with the crowd, encouraging a dance circle and a split-crowd dance circle to get everyone in the dancing mood.

Right before 9pm, a man dressed in a full suit and mask made of mirrors, (appropriately named 'Mirror Man') took the B stage to introduce the main act. Very quickly the large curtain hiding the A stage fell to the floor. And there they were - the 5 core members of Arcade Fire (along with the enlarged touring crew). It almost seemed unreal after so many years of waiting.

Right away Arcade Fire jumped into their first single off the new album - the self titled "Reflektor." The band has completely bought into this theme of the album. Mirrors aligned the stage, a ceiling of mirrors rotated down from the back of the stage, giving floor attendees an overhead view of themselves, and band members even wore mirrors on their hands, reflecting light all around the arena.

The floor was jamming from the start, and Arcade Fire wasted no time getting going. Following "Reflektor" came two of the bands largest hits from their debut album - "Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)" and "Rebellion." I don't believe I'm alone with Funeral being my favorite album. The ovations and sing-a-longs for tunes off that album were incredible.

After a rowdy "Joan of Arc," the group payed tribute to their 2011 Grammy Album of the Year winning The Suburbs. (Yes, if you forgot, this indie band beat out other nominees Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry for top honors that year.) Both "The Suburbs" and "Ready to Start" have a slightly more mellow feel but are still so pleasant to hear live.

Sophomore album Neon Bible was not overlooked as well. Hits "Keep the Car Running," and "No Cars Go" made appearances towards the middle of the set. This really had the feel of more of an Arcade Fire greatest hits show than a concert simply highlighting Reflektor.

On the Reflektor side, new tunes "We Exist," "Afterlife," and "It's Never Over" all filled the gaps. I was very impressed with tunes from the new album performed live. They were almost contradicting. I never realized listening to the album how dark some of the songs are. But despite the dark feel, I've never been a part of a show with so much movement in the crowd. The entire floor seemed to dance as one. It was not a moshpit or anything like that, everyone just seemed to be in the same rhythm.

After an appropriate "Sprawl II" closer, Arcade Fire stepped up their game for an awesome encore. Two of the best off the new album - "Here Comes the Night Time" and "Normal Person" sent the crowd into a frenzy. The added effects of unimaginable amounts of confetti, a killer lights show and a parade of extras wearing oversized fake celebrity bobbleheads on stage only enhanced things. It was a great environment.

The final song of the night was one of the greatest live songs you will ever hear. Hidden on Arcade Fire's debut, "Wake Up" has all members of the band shouting together, with a heavy bass drum beat. The crowd was so loud for this that it was even difficult to hear the band. It was magical live. I can't even imagine how amazing it would be performed at a festival. (Hint hint...Lolla 2015)

In conclusion, 7 and a half years was worth the wait. This is one of the greatest bands you can see live. Amazing energy and effort. Go see them live and go support their music. Arcade Fire is so indie, that you will rarely ever hear them on the radio. You have to make the initiative and there's plenty to choose from. 4 great albums. I'm so glad I can cross this off the list.

Concert Rating: 4.5 Stars






SETLIST:

1. Reflektor 
2. Neighborhood #3 (Power Out) 
3. Rebellion (Lies) 
4. Joan of Arc 
5. The Suburbs 
6. The Suburbs (Continued) 
7. Ready to Start 
8. My Body Is a Cage 
   (alternate shortened version)
9. Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels) 
10. We Exist 
11. Keep the Car Running 
    (w/ LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends" intro)
12. No Cars Go 
13. Haïti 
14. Afterlife 
15. It's Never Over (Oh Orpheus) 
    (Régine on B-stage)
16. Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) 
    ('Damian Taylor Remix' intro)
17. Encore:
16. Personality Crisis 
    (New York Dolls song) (Fake band on B-stage)
17. Hot Hot Hot 
    (Buster Poindexter cover) (with David Johansen) (introduced as "Ladies and gentlemen, Buster Poindexter.)
18. Here Comes the Night Time 
19. Normal Person 
    (w/ Vangelis' "Chariots of Fire" intro)
20. Wake Up

CONCERT REVIEW: Grouplove Opens Lolla Weekend

I've written about this before, but one of the best things about Lollapalooza are the aftershows. For those unfamiliar, Lolla aftershows take place late at night, usually from 11pm - 2am, allowing bands that perform at the festival a second chance to play a show in Chicago for fans that don't have Lolla tickets. What makes them really special though, is that these shows usually occur in smaller music venues around the city, allowing fans to see large bands play at intimate venues that they otherwise would never perform at.

This year, I focused on the aftershows and attended 3 throughout the weekend. Getting the Lolla experience started for me on Thursday night, was an excellent show at one of my favorite venues - it was Grouplove, live from The Metro in Wrigleyville.

The Metro is one of those music venues rich in history. Countless bands have gotten their start in Chicago, and specifically, this venue. It's a small theater with great sound and a stage right on top of the audience. I saw Imagine Dragons play the Metro last summer and was dying to get back.

Opening up for Grouplove was Joy Wave. They did a decent job of creating a dance environment and warming the crowd up. You'd recognize their final song "Tongues," which I feel like is popular in the club scene.

The young crowd was definitely ready for Grouplove to take the stage. The show was obviously sold out and the crowd went nuts as drummer Ryan Rabin came up on stage to perform a quick drum solo before being joined by the rest of the California gang.

For those unfamiliar with Grouplove, they're your essential fun, hippy band from southern Cal. The members themselves were brought together by a trip to Greece where they all claimed to fall in love with each other. Lead singers Christian Zucconi and Hannah Hooper are in fact a couple, and appropriately have excellent synergy on stage.

Grouplove has released 2 albums. They're sophomore album, Spreading Rumors, was released earlier this year and I'm a fan. Although, it doesn't quite live up to their 2011 debut - Never Trust a Happy Song. That album is one of my favorite debuts in the past few years and it's still a constant in my everyday listening.

I'm not alone with that opinion. Grouplove received some of the loudest ovations of the night by performing 3 of their first 4 songs off that debut record to open the show. This included album opener and fan favorite "Itchin' on a Photograph." I really have no idea what it means to itch on a photograph, (nor do I know what a 'lovely cup' is for that matter) but this tune was insanely popular with the crowd jumping and singing along on every line.

Songs from Spreading Rumors had their fair share of crowd participation as well. Tunes like "Raspberry," "Shark Attack," and "Ways to Go" are simple and fun songs. Grouplove's performance of songs from both albums really just gave off the feel that they wanted to audience to have a good time. Hannah and Christian just wanted everyone to be bouncing along with them.

One general observation of the band is that they work extremely well together. Christian has a unique voice, not one that would usually take lead vocals in a band. But Hooper's smooth backing vocals compliment it nicely. Even guitarist Andrew Wessen contributes vocally, and in fact takes center stage to impressively sing the single, "Spun." You can easily tell this is a group of talented musicians.

Of course the tunes that Grouplove is best known for came towards the end of the set. Their largest radio hit, "Tongue Tied," threw the Metro into a huge dance party. The song that's always been the favorite for myself, "Colours," was the final of the night. Christian invited their friends from Cage the Elephant on stage to assist with the vocals.

Overall, great band at a great venue. It was a fun time and the perfect way to spend Lollapalooza Eve.

Concert Rating: 4 Stars


SETLIST:
1. I'm With You
2. Itchin' on a Photograph
3. Lovely Cup
4. Naked Kids
5. Raspberry
6. Shark Attack
7. Schoolboy
8. Gold Coast
9. Drunk in Love (Beyoncé cover)
10. Bitin' the Bullet
11. Tongue Tied
12. Slow

Encore:
13. Borderlines and Aliens
14. Ways To Go
15. Colours (with Cage the Elephant)

FESTIVAL REVIEW: The Top 9 Performances of Lollapalooza

So after attending Gov Ball the first week of the June, I began experiencing the longest concert drought of the summer. I went from June 9^th – July 30^th without seeing a show. That’s nearly 8 weeks, which is ridiculous considering the activity 2014 has seen. I believe the only thing that got me through this drought was the promise of an excellent light at the end of the tunnel: Lollapalooza.

After an amazing time at Lolla 2013, it was clear that this should become an annual event on the calendar. Grant Park, Chicago truly is a perfect venue for a music festival. It’s large enough to hold 8 stages without conflicting sounds, but it’s also small enough to make a busy day of seeing many bands on different stages manageable. Plus it’s located right in the Loop of downtown Chicago, so lodging and transportation are easy. And don’t even get me started on the aftershows. Pretty much, it’s an epic weekend that any music fan needs to experience at some point.

So this year I traveled up to Lolla again but took a slightly different approach to the weekend. As I mentioned in my Music Festival Power Rankings, I was not overly impressed with the Lolla Headliners. I had already done the Outkast thing twice, so I spent more time focusing on the bands that made up the middle of the lineup.

Here’s who I was able to catch: Bombay Bicycle Club, Warpaint, Portugal. The Man, Chvrches, Lorde, Arctic Monkeys, The Districts, Vance Joy, Temper Trap, Fitz & the Tantrums, Smallpools, Jenny Lewis, Cut Copy, Bear Hands, Bleachers, Trombone Shorty, Cage the Elephant, Avett Brothers, Bronze Radio Return, Young the Giant, Kings of Leon, Chance the Rapper and Skrillex.

I usually do a Top 10. But I realized there was such a large drop-off between 9 and 10, that I decided to shorten this list to just the Top 9. Enjoy:

9. Vance Joy

One of the earliest sets of the day on Saturday drew one of the day’s largest crowds. It was Australian singer / songwriter Vance Joy. Vance is very mellow and has yet to release a full length album. All he has is a 5 song EP, led by his hit single “Riptide.” This indie hit had the crowd singing early in the day and has put Vance on the map.

8. Bleachers

I would have been alright with seeing or without seeing Bleachers at Lolla. I caught their performance at Gov Ball, and thought they were impressive for a new group that had only released 2 songs. I’m glad to see them again though after they've gained some more popularity. They kept the crowd entertained during their hour long set with catchy singles – “Like a River Runs,” “Shadow” and a cover of the Cranberries classic “Dreams.”

Lead singer and former Fun. Guitarist Jack Antonoff departed the stage and went into the first few rows of the audience for closer and first single, “I Wanna Get Better.”

7. Portugal. The Man

This was one of my favorite performances of the weekend. This wacky alternative group from Alaska came out playing the Pink Floyd classic "Another Brick in the Wall,", and that was just the start of the covers. They also performed Queen's "We Are the Champions," “Day Man,” yes the song from Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and one of my favorite songs of all time in Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger,” where they actually encouraged the Gallagher Brothers to get back together.

They spent plenty of time on their own material as well. PtM’s Evil Friends was one of the best albums of 2013, and they performed 6 songs off that album.

6. Cut Copy

So the big decision on Saturday night at Lolla was between seeing Outkast or Calvin Harris. I found myself at neither location, but at my favorite stage – the Grove, seeing electronic rock group, Cut Copy. I could not have been more pleased with the choice. Cut Copy has a dance music feel, but I appreciate being able to see the band members play their instruments vs just a DJ. It semi had the feel of a Empire of the Sun show.

5. Smallpools

Saturday afternoon was packed for the alternative rock fan. Fitz and the Tantrums, Grouplove, Manchester Orchestra and Smallpools were all playing in the same time slot, taking fans away from each other. But for the fans in attendance at the Grove, Smallpools put on an excellent performance. Similar to a Vance Joy, Smallpools has yet to release an album. Fortunately, the 9 songs they do perform were very entertaining.

Right away, opener “Mason Jar” let you know that these guys were no joke. They added some familiarity with a cover of New Radicals “You Get What You Give” and ended with lead single “Dreaming.” These guys definitely have the feel of a young Grouplove before they hit it big. I’m expecting a bright future.

4. Lorde

I was blown away by the crowd that Lorde drew at Lolla. She does appeal as almost the perfect Lolla artist, popular with the teenage girls but actually playing music that’s good enough to persuade any music fan to check her set out. The crowd for Lorde stretched across the entire field built for 2 stages, and overflowed into the vendor areas and walkways. I wouldn't be surprised if despite not even being a headliner she still drew the largest crowd of the weekend.

Lorde sure is talented. I’ll admit that I do own her debut album, Pure Heroine, and even listed it as one of my favorite albums of 2013 at the end of last year. She went through that album, touching all the hits, and even seemed humbled by the opportunity to play in front of so many people.

3. Avett Brothers

So last year at Lolla, the reason for the trip and winner of the power rankings was Mumford & Sons. You may not think it, but an acoustic band definitely is capable of entertaining a festival and killing it. The Avett Brothers Sunday evening set was reminiscent of the Mumfords.

Playing tunes that spanned the entire career of the Avetts, the group had everyone dancing in the rain to good old-fashioned folk rock. They featured the hits – “Live and Die,” "Down With the Shine” and “I and Love and You,” but they also played so many lesser known tunes that sounded amazing live. Seeing Avett’s on a headlining tour is definitely on the to-do list for the future.

2. Cage the Elephant

I first saw Cage the Elephant about 3 years ago, and I have memories of front man Matt Schultz being wild. What I didn't realize was just how unpredictable Schultz would be at Lolla. He came out on stage, with his backing band, in a dress shirt and jacket. Eventually, both the shirt and jacket were off, and Schultz took advantage of the rainy and muddy Sunday by rolling around in the mud and using the entire stage to his advantage.

Schultz performed multiple stage dives and traveled into the crowd at multiple times, all while singing some of the group’s best tunes. Going through all of Cage’s material, and with entertaining on-stage antics, this group really showed off as a great festival rock group. (Tampa friends – they’re headlining Coral Skies in October)

   1. Arctic Monkeys

You knew these guys were gonna be tough to beat. While half the crowd went over to see Eminem headline Friday night at Lolla, I stuck around the Bud Light stage to see my favorite band of the year – Arctic Monkeys. I saw these guys back in January as one of the first shows of the year, and have been itching to see them again ever since.

I was not at all disappointed. The boys played 10 songs off my favorite album of the year – AM, and they also mixed in a greatest hits collection from their first 4 albums. The opening drive of “Do I Wanna Know?” “Snap Out of It,” and “Arabella” to start was epic. And Alex Turner was made to be a front man, captivating the Lolla audience with his hair-combing and pristine voice. It’s good to see these guys finally receiving a major headlining slot in the US. It’s deserved.

Also, you may remember I put out this post back in March predicting the Lollapalooza lineup: Eh…..  9 out of 20 for the middle of the lineup isn't bad. 

Introducing: Hunter Hunted

I'm currently in the middle of the longest concert break of my year, so I needed to get on the blog to post something. Now you may remember that back in April I reviewed a Twenty One Pilots show from CT. The duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun are one of my favorites, so I obviously arrived early to stage a good spot. I sure am happy now that I did that, because it introduced me to one of my favorite new bands of the year. Opening up for Twenty One Pilots was the new group - Hunter Hunted.

Based out of California, Hunter Hunted features vocalists Michael Garner and Dan Chang. The pair harmonize very well together, falling into the category of indie rock while showing off some folk-rock influences. They formed together in December of 2012 and have had substantial success getting the bands career started.

After acquiring early popularity in the LA area, Hunter Hunted have expanded their audience by touring with artists such as: Fitz & the Tantrums, The Mowgli's, Family of the Year, Weezer, American Authors, and FUN. They even have performed live on Conan.

After seeing Hunter Hunted open up for Twenty One Pilots, I have been lucky to see them twice since - at Big Guava Fest and Governor's Ball. On both occasions the California duo, backed by 3 additional band members, started off Saturday of each festival. They played for a decent crowd and I believe at both shows won over the audience that may have not been too familiar with the group's work beforehand.

The group performed tunes off their 2013 self titled EP, which contains 5 very easy-listening songs. My personal favorite was their closer, "Keep Together." They also mixed in an enjoyable cover to Pixies' "Where is My Mind?" and debuted a new song entitled "Ghost."

Garner informed the crowd at all shows that following the group's busy spring, they'd be returning to California to record their first full-length album. I'm looking forward to this debut, and I hope to see it's release sometime in 2014. Check these guys out!

FESTIVAL REVIEW: The Top 10 Performances of Governor's Ball

So you may remember that back in April I released my Top 10 Music Festival Power Rankings. Number 6 on that list was Governor's Ball, which at the time I didn't even consider attending. My heart was set on Lolla, and I figured Gov Ball would be an instant sell out. Much to my good fortune, the 45,000 capacity festival took a bit longer to generate sales than expected, and some friends and I ended up with some three day passes for a semi-spontaneous trip to NYC.

Taking place on Randall's Island, Gov Ball featured 4 stages and over 60 bands. There didn't seem to be one main music genre, satisfying the wide variety of fans in attendance. Some positives of the festival was an easy to navigate layout, plenty of food and drink options, as well as a city backdrop offering plenty of post-festival entertainment.

Some negatives - much like NYC in general, it's tough to get anywhere. Entering the festival from Manhattan required a lengthy mile long walk across the Robert Kennedy Bridge. Also, this festival clearly comes with a New York City price. Food and beverages were NOT cheap inside.

But ignore the ancillary characteristics, this is about the MUSIC. Here are the bands I was able to catch this past weekend: Phoenix, Outkast, Damon Albarn, Hunter Hunted, Tanlines, Fitz and the Tantrums, Broken Bells, The Naked and Famous, The Strokes, Jack White, Bleachers, Frank Turner, The Head and the Heart, Foster the People, Empire of the Sun, and Vampire Weekend. 

And now I present my Top 10:


#10. Bleachers 

Getting the day started on Sunday was the new project from Jack Antonoff, former guitarist of Fun. You can tell Jack is a seasoned performer, as he had great stage presence appearing as a friendly frontman, but also surprisingly shredding on the guitar. He even joked with the audience how impressed he was with the turnout despite the band only releasing two songs so far.

Despite the lack of knowledge on the bands material, the audience was still entertained. Both released Bleachers songs - "I Wanna Get Better" and "Shadow" are excellent. They also threw in a nice Tom Petty cover of "Don't Come Around Here No More." The Bleachers debut album is due of July 15th, and I anticipate it will receive solid radio play all summer long.


#9. Outkast

This is the first of three bands that also appeared on my top 10 list for Big Guava Fest, taking place in Tampa, FL last month. I rated Outkast number 2 overall at Guava, as they really did put on a top notch performance. If I hadn't seen Outkast in Tampa they may have been just as high on this list. But since the feeling of seeing them for the first time was gone, the effect of the ATLiens wasn't the same.

Like myself, so many festival goers will be seeing multiple Outkast shows this summer, so my personal opinion is that they should mix up the setlists a bit. The Gov Ball show was a song for song, move for move identical twin to the Guava show. It was fun, but there were no surprises, and Andre 3000 didn't seem to have the same pep in his step as he did in Tampa. Still though...worthy of a top 10 placement.


#8. Foster the People

Another Guava band also on the GovBall lineup, Marc Foster and Company proved to be very enjoyable, even for the casual onlookers that may only know one or two Foster songs. Marc himself is a solid frontman, playing multiple instruments and using the entire stage while singing and dancing. He commented multiple times on the energy and spirit of the New York crowd, and you could tell he was enjoying himself.

Foster mainly played tunes off their new album - Supermodel. Their recent single, "Best Friends," should begin dominating radio waves soon. They also didn't forget about all their best tunes from superb debut album Torches. ("Call It What You Want," "Houdini," "Helena Beat") The group actually received some instrumental help from Spencer Ludwig of Capital Cities, which was a nice added bonus.


#7. Phoenix

I missed seeing this alternative favorite at Lolla last year, so was happy to have the chance to see them at Gov Ball. The rock band from France had a huge crowd for their Friday evening set as much of the audience was staging their spot for Outkast. Phoenix performed an excellent 90 minute set, heavy on hits from their most successful album - 2009's Wolfgang Amadeus.

The crowd went nuts for hits "1901" and "Liztomania." One of the coolest moments of the weekend was seeing lead singer Thomas Mars jumped off stage and hopped the railing into the crowd. He then crowd surfed an impressive distance and stood up on the hands of all the screaming fans to close the set.

#6. Frank Turner

I'm a bit biased as Frank is one of my favorites, but this is absolutely deserved. Frank Turner put together an absolute poetic combination of punk rock and folk for an excellent Sunday afternoon set. Frank mainly highlighted material off his most recent album - Tape, Deck Heart.

Some highlights were a rowdy "Plain Sailing Weather," a 'crescendo' version of "If Ever I Stray," a passionate "I Still Believe" and a sing-a-long "Recovery" that Frank actually had the crowd doing jumping jacks too while singing the chorus. Overall, Frank Turner is simply a rock star that actually seems genuine on stage. I love this guy.


#5. The Strokes

One of the most unique things about GovBall was that they nabbed The Strokes, who rarely play live anymore. The Strokes themselves come from New York, and even though they played a Saturday evening slot vs. a headlining set, they were clearly the band to see this weekend. I saw more Strokes t-shirts than any other band combined.

Fans in NYC have waited over 3 years to see The Strokes, during which time the band released a full length album but never toured to promote it. Fans were rewarded on Saturday though with a very satisfying performance. Julian Casablancas and the four other members performed an impressive 18 songs, heavy on material from the bands first two albums, which are highly regarded as the groups strongest.

Highlights included "Barely Legal" to open, "Heart in a Cage," "You Only Live Once," "Last Night" to close, and an encore of "New York City Cops." One thing I would have likes to have seen more is some audience interaction from the guys. The crowd obviously loved them, but the band members didn't seem to be having much fun playing. I like seeing emotion in performances. How about a thank you to NYC or a welcome back? It's a pet peeve but not a huge deal. At the end of the day it was just cool to hear some Strokes songs live.


#4. Vampire Weekend

Much like Outkast, Vampire Weekend put together a show very similar to their performance at Big Guava last month. They slightly altered the setlist. But the big difference was that this time Vampire was playing in front of their hometown crowd in NYC.

The group remarked on how special it was for them to be playing back in the city, and their placement as the final Sunday headliner seemed very fitting. The four piece group played songs from all three of their albums, but concentrated on their Grammy winning Modern Vampires of the City. This album alone is a recipe for success. The crowd danced around for all 90 minutes and were properly left with perennial closer "Walcott" as the final song of the festival.

#3. Fitz & the Tantrums

This one really caught me by surprise! I've seen Fitz & the Tantrums before, but have yet to see a performance like this. The indie-meets-R&B/soul group killed it Saturday afternoon in a 13 song set at the Big Apple Stage.

For those that don't know the band, Fitz has always received critical acclaim. Their debut album Pickin' Up the Pieces is phenomenal, and their follow up album, More Than Just a Dream has already produced two No. 1 singles on the US Alt Rock chart. ("Out of My League" and "The Walker") Michael Fitzpatrick and Noelle Scaggs used this momentum to create outstanding energy. They're also backed by a very talented band. Check these guys out!

#2. Empire of the Sun

Closing out the Gotham tent Sunday night was Empire of the Sun. The crowd for this Australian band spilled out from the tent, going deep into the lawn of the crowd awaiting Vampire Weekend. I sneaked my way into the very back corner of the tent and was not prepared for the performance I was about to take in.

Empire of the Sun is not a concert, it is a production. Lead Singer Luke Steele was dressed like an alien Egyptian, and the backing band all followed the same theme. There were professional dancers in equally crazy costumes and tentacle arms, and the lights to correspond with the music was ridiculous.

Empire is a electronic band, but they don't feel like other EDM acts from the festival. The duo played on the drums and guitar for the majority of the 13 song setlist. The loudest cheer of the set was for first single "Walking on a Dream." Empire threw in a bonus encore of "Alive," which was one of the best performed live songs of the weekend.


#1. Jack White

The crazy thing about seeing Jack White live is that you are essentially seeing three live bands. White started The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather. He has since released two solo albums, the latter of which, Lazaretto, actually hit stores yesterday.

Closing the main stage Saturday night, White led the crowd through 18 songs spanning his entire career. The beginning of his set was incredible. He opened with "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" from The White Stripes, and went straight into two excellent new songs - self-titled "Lazaretto" and the ridiculous no-lyrics-needed "High Ball Stepper."

White touched on a few tunes from 2008's Grammy Album of the Year nominated Blunderbuss. Most notably - "Love Interruption," "Freedom at 21," and "Sixteen Saltines."

Raconteur's hit "Steady, As She Goes" also earned one of the largest ovations of the night.

The inevitable closer was White's best known song and one of the greatest rock songs of all time - "Seven Nation Army." It's always pretty wild hearing the audience chant along to a guitar riff, and this was the perfect example.

I've never seen a musician like White before absolutely murdering a guitar. I've been to rock shows, but this is an entirely different level. The Rolling Stone - named "Willy Wonka" of rock sure did deliver. Congrats to the winner of GovBall!




In conclusion, this was a great festival to attend. I won't guarantee a return next year, but a lineup of equal nature will definitely persuade me. I do see this as a festival that will continue to grow. You can't beat having a huge musical market like New York City as your backdrop.

Concert Review: Deer Tick at Crowbar

I was quite conflicted on the night of May 14th. Playing just a few hours north of Tampa was one of my favorite bands - Dawes. Unfortunately, they were only the opener on tour with Conor Oberst. And even more unfortunately, they were taking the stage at 8pm in downtown Orlando, which is quite the difficult drive to make from Tampa on a weekday night. The silver lining was that there was a respectable show going on that same night in Ybor - featuring a band by the name of Deer Tick.

I actually only know Deer Tick because of a side project lead singer John McCauley is part of. He actually has teamed up for a folk supergroup called Middle Brother with Dawes front man Taylor Goldsmith and Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit. (participant at GMF...review here)

Deer Tick formed in 2004 and has quite the following. Although not completely sold out, this was the most packed I've seen Crowbar for a show. The opening act was a very talented singer-songwriter, Langhorne Slim. He kept the crowd very entertained on this late night in Ybor. His current single, "The Way We Move," is excellent and is featured on an ESPN ad.



Following Langhorne, the five piece group from Providence, Rhode Island took the stage. They were on tour in support of their recent album, Negativity. Seeing Deer Tick at a small club like Crowbar was quite a treat, especially since this was their second show following a highly praised performance at the Shaky Knees Music Festival in Atlanta, Georgia.

Deer Tick highlighted songs from all five of their studio albums throughout the night. I was most excited for their tunes from their 2007 debut, entitled - War Elephant. If you haven't listened to these guys before, War Elephant is the album to check out. It combines country roots with a pleasant blues-rock sound.

The crowd at Crowbar was fortunate to hear some of the best tunes off War Elephant. Most notably - "Baltimore Blues No. 1," "These Old Shoes," and an acoustic version of "Dirty Dishes." Deer Tick also played War Elephant opener and crowd favorite "Ashamed" as the final song of the night.

Other highlights included "Main Street,"off of 4th studio album, Divine Providence, as well as their most recent single, "The Dream's in the Ditch." I must also give credit to crowd pleaser - "The Bump," which was very entertaining to watch. Check out a live example here.

In total, it was a pleasant night of music at Crowbar. The one critique I have is that Deer Tick played for a bit too long. They came on stage around 11:30pm and were still playing at 1:20am. I'm usually not a guy to complain about a band playing too long, but this one seemed a bit late for a Wednesday night. Regardless though, it was a worthwhile time.

Concert Rating: 2.5 Stars

Concert Review: Old Crow Medicine Show

You may not realize it, but I guarantee you know the band - Old Crow Medicine Show. The string band / country / alternative / blue-grass / folk group from Nashville, Tennessee rolled into Jannus last week for their first ever concert in St. Pete. And the wait for fans of the group was well worth it!

Old Crow hit the stage right around 9pm, following the support of opener - Black Lillies. The seven man group attracted a fairly large crowd to Jannus, but the venue was not completely sold out. OCMS has released four studio albums since their inception in 2000, so have built a solid following. I am most familiar with them from their railroad revival tour, where they toured the states by train, opening up for Mumford and Sons. (For any fan of these bands, check out Big Easy Express.)

The Nashville boys wasted no time getting to work as the show started promptly at nine and jumped into fan favorite, "Alabama High Test," early in the set. This tune gives you a fair overview of the band, balancing multiple vocal harmonies with foot-stomping ferocity.

The group is mainly led by Ketch Secor, who did most of the talking in between songs. He is the lead vocalist but it felt as though all members of the group made their contributions throughout the night. In fact, one of the main reasons OCMS were so enjoyable to watch was simply the size of the band. At all times, there were 7 band members on stage. (Sometimes even more when opening acts joined in) The members showed great versatility, often changing instruments each song. With banjos, fiddles, and upright basses, it seemed almost impossible for anyone to be bored watching this act.

Of course the song that OCMS is most well known for is bar-anthem "Wagon Wheel." Yes, although country star Darius Rucker won a Grammy for this single, it was Old Crow that originally recorded it after Bob Dylan handed off some unfinished lyrics to the guys. They were never able to get it to a top 40 radio hit, but it's still a pleasure to hear live.

Unsurprisingly, "Wagon Wheel" was the largest sing-a-long of the night. This was by no means though a one hit wonder show. The crowd sang proudly throughout the concert, most prevalent on "We Don't Grow Tobacco" and "CC Rider."

Another one of the highlights on the night was "Methamphetamine," a crowd pleaser that tells the story of poverty alleviated by the horrors of meth trade. This song is highlighted by a wailing harmonica and sounds like it belongs on a video compilation for "Breaking Bad."

The final jam of the set had Secor introduce the band. Each member played a solo snippet and a quick one liner from assorted OCMS songs. The front man was the last introduced before playing a few lines of "Tell It To Me" to close out the set.

Old Crow didn't even bother exiting the stage at the end of the set, as the hyped up crowd was certainly ready for an encore. The guys made some great choices. After speaking briefly about Florida, they went into John Anderson's "Seminole Wind." The very last song of the night was universally-loved "American Girl," the Tom Petty classic.

I knew Old Crow Medicine Show would be an entertaining group to see, but they impressed me even more than expected. They're a big band that is simply fun to watch. I feel I can relate this show most closely to the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zero's concert at Jannus last fall. Both shows featured large bands and their concerts flew somewhat under the radar not selling out. But both made it fully worthwhile for fans in attendance.

I sure was glad to be in attendance and I know everyone else at Jannus was too. I'm putting this in my Top 5 for 2014 so far.

CONCERT RATING: 4 Stars


*Poor Quality Video


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