‘Live blogging’ is a common feature of well-known online blogs. AndrewSullivan.com, for example, live blogged the Presidential Debates. EntertainmentWeekly.com live blogged the American Idol finale. Live blogging is an exciting idea for me because it means no paragraphs – no obsessive editing! It is pure bullet points, edited only for typos.
I mention this because I scribbled down numerous hand written notes during the Modest Mouse / REM concert, effectively live blogging my first concert. This means I don’t have to write up anything new now! Woohoo! Only 47 concert writeups to go…
Modest Mouse
Yay, they begin the “The View”! It’s loud and driving and so not Death Cab! The vocals are a little garbled, but the guitar is much better than on the album. So aggressive – especially on the second “are you dead or are you sleeping?” song. “Dance Hall” is an angry too, in a funky, offbeat way. “Fire It Up” is more passive, particularly the intro. This contrast works well.
I love the idea of a legit band being “the backup band.” It cuts out all the filler; they just play their best. …Not that this awful crowd appreciates it. All they do is wander around their seats, not paying a lick of attention, waiting for the odd young punks to get off the stage.
Ooooh, pounding drums, intrigue. Oh, it’s “Dashboard”! No wonder “Dashboard” has become popular. It’s the most rhythmically complicated song so far. “Bukowski” is simpler, but solid.
I wonder how to categorize Modest Mouse. They’re not whiny enough to Emo, or formulaic enough to be Pop. I’ll go with Driving, Stylized Oddness.
“Spitting Venom” – WOW. That was a legitimate concert MOMENT. Began with the ultra bass “let it all drop,” added horns, drums, feedback, and swiveling lights, started to fade, and then went back to the horns, drums, feedback, and lights. Finally, in the last few seconds, the sea of noises dissipated. This is why I go to concerts. So much better than the album version.
Unexpected bonus: they didn’t even play “Float On.” That’s so punk.
Grade: A-
REM
Solid, packed crowd. Are there five times more bald white men here than in the general population, or do I just notice it more because of Michael Stipe?
Mirrors behind the stage are a cool effect, if a bit, uh, narcissistic.
Lol. Stipe’s gyrating like a pasty, middle-aged Shakira.
Sound-wise, “Bad Day” (an old Bush basher) is the best so far, but it is kind of strange: a bouncy, upbeat sing-a-long about what he considers a catastrophic presidency?!
I love the fact that almost everything is coming from Greatest Hits and Accelerate, the only two albums I listened to!
Such quick songs, so little talking. I wish he were less workmanlike.
“Electrolite” gets a check-plus. The delicate lyrics, the piano key change, and all the colorful holograms in the background make it memorable.
Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam walks on stage, surprising everyone, and joins the band for “Begin the Begin.”
The crowd liked “The Great Beyond” and “Losing My Religion,” but “Orange Crush” deservedly gets the biggest reaction. The melody soars.
Brilliant transition to the frenzied “End of the World…” after “Orange Crush.”
People are leaving early? Really?
Nice, sentimental finish with “Man on the Moon.”
Grade: B
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