128 -- Rockapella [ft. Carmen Sandiego] -- Thursday, March 21, 2013 -- Rams Head on Stage -- Annapolis, MD

Most people know as the band Rockapella as the band who sang the theme song to PBS 90’s geography game show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?  Fewer people know Rockapella as stone cold hustlers.  Yet that’s what they appeared to be at Rams’ Head Live. 

The first five songs were awful.  They were not sung that badly, but they committed a musical mortal sin: they made you not care.  How could you care about such sleepy, syrupy songs you could not tell apart?  I had listened to all Rockapella albums one time through and still could not recognize any of the songs. 

And then I went to the bathroom.  I went there, honestly, to slap water on my face because I did not want to doze off in the middle of the show.  When I returned, everything changed.  The biggest musical transformation I’ve seen since Rise Against in Richmond in ’09 started with a boogie – The Jackson Five’s “Blame it on the Boogie.”  That song was the first to heavily feature George Baldi III, the bass who would go on to steal the rest of the show.  Like Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight, Michael Emerson in Lost, and Meryl Streep in, well, anything, you kept waiting for him to return – you were so transfixed every time he came up to perform.  He could nail any style or genre: ultra deep in “Almond Joy,” ultra high in “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” Otis Williams in “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” and even Whitney Houston in “I Will Always Love You”!

As soon as Baldi started to shine, the whole band / show picked up as well.  “Stand By Me” with this crowd woman who could not sing was exciting, and learning that Rockapella was responsible for the Almond Joy commercial, the Today Show commercial, the Folger’s Coffee commercial, and the Preparation H (!) commercial was hilarious.  Hark Tagunicar also said that their high-energy rendition of “Where inthe World is Carmen Sandiego?” made his week.

By the end, with “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” everything had come together.  Lead singer Scott Leonard’s voice no longer sounded strained and whiny; it sounded smooth and natural.  Vocal percussionist Jeff Thacher was able to restrain his incredible instrument so that it fully fit the lyrics.  And the whole band was able to unite for a performance that was, according to my notes, “hella smoky / creepy cool.”  Given this performance and the rest of the night, it does not look like Rockapella would be able to hustle any time soon, but I would definitely see them again.  Any time Hark, Mike Gill, Nick Oben, Joyce Oben, or Scott Bindel are interested, I’m there.                         

Grade: A-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2p3zpopGQ3o

127 -- Crystal Bowersox -- Thursday, March 7, 2013 -- The Hamilton -- DC

Crystal Bowersox was American Idol’s most unjust runner-up.  That is not to hold anything against Lee DeWyze -- okay, maybe you could hold a lot of things against Lee DeWyze, “‘Beautiful’ Day” foremost among them.  The reality was, though, even in a stronger season, Crystal Bowersox would have probably deserved to win that as well.

In concert last month, four years after her Idol season aired, Crystal proved that the same still held true.  Her vocals were, bar none, the best of any artist I had ever heard sing live.  They made up for the fact that she sang virtually no Idol songs at the concert, they made up for the fact that she sang ten tracks from an album that would not be released for twenty days (?!), and they made you hold out hope that the next show you saw, it could be an all-time great.  The tenderness in “Shine,” the finesse in “Crazy,” and the transformation in “Holy Toledo” made you believe. 

  

Next concert, with a little more crowd interaction and a lot more knowable songs, Crystal will put it over the top.  If she sings anything like she did on “Hallelujah” and “Bobby McGee” this time, it will be, as Simon Cowell said in his final Idol critique, ‘outstanding.’

Grade: A-

Endnote: I told Crystal Bowersox after the show that I had been so over “Hallelujah.”  She said, “Um, is that supposed to be a compliment?”  I explained that I had been so over “Hallelujah” – that her vocal made me plea for more and more verses, that I discovered new things about a song I thought was long past any sense of discovery.  That part she recognized as a compliment. ;)   

 

126 -- Elliott Yamin -- Tuesday, February 26, 2013 -- The Hamilton -- DC

Elliott Yamin, American Idol’s most endearing underdog, did not disappoint in concert.  His Usher-y R+B is not the type of music I’d generally listen to, and his interaction was limited by the lifeless audience, but Elliott’s energy and ability ultimately won out.  A few highlights:

--- Comes out in a white shirt, tie, and scruffy as all get out.  It works for him.

--- No one in the audience seemed to know “Gather Round,” the irresistibly catchy track on his new album.  I immediately whooped and pointed at him, showing him that at least I knew it!  I feel like he saw me, but who knows…  

--- “Train Wreck” and “Free” were super smooth.  Hard not to be a fan of those.  “Wait for You” and “One Word” were a bit syrupy.  Shatika Mays probably would have liked them; I did not.  

--- “Virginia” / “Downtown on the Boulevard” proved how important it is to share stories with the crowd.  He talked all about how he was a local boy from the 804 and how a middle school friend he ‘used to ball with’ was at the show tonight, and it totally enhanced the songs.  Combine that with his humming between songs, his familiar goat chuckle, and his shout out “to all the moms everywhere,” you couldn’t help but love him.  The mom reference made you connect immediately back to Elliott’s mom and the parade in Richmond, the most moving hometown visit in Idol history.

--- The final song did not need a story or any sort of introduction.  It was better than anything Danny Gokey, Casey James, or Jasmine Trias ever sang, and it was better than Elliott’s own version on the show.  All the other members of the band left the stage, and it was just Elliott, the microphone, and Donnie Hathaway.  It was…“A Song for You.”  

Grade: B+            

Endnote: Meeting him after the show was awesome.  He seemed to genuinely appreciate how I’d used his song in class and used him as an example of a three-dimensional character.  Evan Rochkind certainly has a cool cousin. 


 

125 -- Mumford and Sons -- Wednesday, February 13, 2013 -- Patriot Center -- Fairfax, VA

The most famous music discovery quote of all time belongs to critic Jon Landau: “I just saw the future of rock and roll, and its name was Bruce Springsteen.”  My updated version of that quote would be: “I just saw the future of rock and roll concerts, and its name was Mumford and Sons.”  Not since my first Bruce show have I experienced something that rousing, that unified, that warm. 

As at a Bruce show, everyone in the audience seemed not merely excited, but moved.  A lot of great live bands generate excitement: Smashing Pumpkins / Rise Against / Alkaline Trio do it by being dark and aggressive, Wilco / Guster / Ben Folds do it with wit and charm, and Foo Fighters / Green Day / Girl Talk do it by launching everything possible at the audience.  Four-minute guitar riffs, four-tier t-shirt cannons, four-hundred multi-color balloons: anything to amp up the energy.

What Mumford was able to do beyond these bands was to forge a deeper connection.  The lyrics and the delivery had soul.  You believed and everyone around you seemed to believe that no matter how bad your day at work or home had been, you could find hope in them.  Their music would not betray, dismay, or enslave you; it would set you free.

 

That might sound like hippie hogwash, but for many of the 10,000 people at the Patriot Center that night, it seemed to be true.  Hark Tagunicar certainly felt it, former student Christian Keppler who I ran into afterwards felt it, and apparently Meg Mascelli, Kyle West, Kristin West, the Curry family, the Langemeier family, and the Jack family did the next night.

As far as my reaction to specific parts of the show, see the live blog below.  I apologize in advance for all the exclamation points; I hate when those are overused.  None of them are put on, though – they’re all what I genuinely felt at the time.  Plus, at a certain point, if you have to apologize for the number of exclamation points, that’s a good problem to have…

Grade: A+

[For the hardcore fans] THE LIVE BLOG:

--- Whoa, “Babel” has no vocal falloff live.  It sounds just like it does on CD / at Frost.  

--- “Little Lion Man”!  The mini disco lights, the full crowd unity, the meaningful f bombs…all awesome.  It’s Bruce with a banjo!!!

--- “We came to party; it seems like you did too.”  Yup.

--- “Thanks for coming; we've actually been waiting all day for this.”  A day?  I’ve been waiting two years.

--- Hark: “They're really starting out strong.”  Preach it, Filipino Man!

--- Even “Winter Winds,” my least favorite Mumford song, is enjoyable.  A solid change of pace.

--- I don't like “Below My Feet” either, and it's awesome.  There’s an extended acoustic intro, added vulnerability, and the backup singer in the upper deck next to me is a goddess!  The goddess part might sound over the top, but after countless upper deck concerts surrounded by mutes or drunks, this girl is amazing.  [I later told the girl, a music major, how much her singing added to the experience.  She said she was flattered.]   

--- “White Blank Page.”  “A swelling rrrrrage......I will love you with my whole heart, my whole heart, my heararararart.”   The entire arena has joined in!!!

--- “It’s good to be back in the South.”  Um, Fairfax is south of England, so I guess he is correct…

--- “I Will Wait”!!  Watching the music video in class this year at the end of the Anne Frank / Holocaust unit meant so much.  And it’s better live.  That's what's called a crescendo, folks.

--- “Lover of the Light.”  Really enjoy that there aren’t cheesy background gimmicks – just music and lights.  Yelling the title is so happy. 

--- “Thistles and Weeds” – what a clever transition to darkness!!!  Black elixxxxxxxir flowing through the whole thing.  High point of the show so far. 

--- Hehe, clever shout out: “If you missed Haim [the opening band], it's a mistake you'll probably never live down because they're the best band in the world.  To be fair, that may be hyperbole because Ben Howard [the second opener] is better.”

--- “Ghosts That We Knew.”  Wheeeeeeeeeee.  [Don’t even know what that means, but apparently I was excited.]

--- Aww, without any prompting Hark says the [somewhat obscure] “Holland Road” sounds familiar.  The fact that he played the rhythm of the song on his scarf was equally endearing.

--- “You guys up for a dance?” Sure, I am so ready to see how this grace thing works.  “Rollllll Away Your Stone."

--- I completely lost track of time! How is it almost over?!

--- “You're one of the best audiences we've ever played to.” Well, Southern audiences are known to be good...

--- “We love this place, whatever we are.” Lol, at least they’re owning their ignorance.

--- Who leaves the show early?!  [The morons came back once they heard “Reminder” and "The Cave" start to play.]

--- The final great thing about this show?  It was not perfect.  They played a couple lackluster songs (“For Those Below,” “Sister,” “Take a Load Off, Annie / The Weight”) and left out some great ones as well (“Awake My Soul,” “Broken Crown,” their cover of Bruce's "Atlantic City," “I Gave You All,” “SIGH NO MORE”).  In my mind, though, this adds to the experience: it gives me something to look forward to the next show.  Because there will be a second show – and a third – and many more in the future… 

124 -- Fun. -- Thursday, January 31, 2013 -- DAR Constitution Hall -- DC

Fun. put on a very enjoyable concert that fit its name.  Being backlogged with concert reviews is much less enjoyable, so here are quick bullet points from the show…

--- They start with “Out on the Town”!  Beginning with a bonus track – interesting.  How is this not a single?  I’m glad it isn’t though, ‘cause it makes me feel special knowing / liking it haha.

--- So early for “Some Nights”?!  Should've ended with it, but still amazing.

 --- The train-animation-filled “All the Pretty Girls” is a bit lame.  As are “At Least I’m Not as I Used to Be” and the Tetris-filled “All Alone.”

--- Surprisingly excited for the mid-tempo “Why Am I The One.”  A recommendation eventually got me into the song and the intro reminds me of Weezer – can’t figure which Weezer song?

--- DAR is the perfect venue for them -- big instrumentals, vocals spot on anyway.

--- "Heyyy-o, dayyy-o, daylight’s comin’ and me want to go home" – heh, same call-and-response used by Green Day live. 

--- “It Gets Better” is way stronger in concert.  The bouncy rhythm, the neon lights, and frontman Nate Ruess’ admission that he no longer smells like cigarettes all get big applause.

--- “Barlights”!  Didn't recognize the arresting acoustic intro, but that made it an even stronger song.  “You know I I I I feel alive.”

--- “Carrrry On”! So tender – and it swells.  Best improvement of the night. I could listen to that ten times on a loop – should be longer.

--- Heh, this little kid flips out at a song entitled “What The F.”  The song gets more interesting by the gentle / strange ending, but it’s still no “Blankest Year.”

--- Whoa, “We Are Young” gets a slower remix – and a hundred burning flames.

--- The lesser known "It's All Alright" is a solid followup.  “If you don't know the words to this one, you'll learn real quick.”  They literally walk off to the audience slow singing the chorus -- nicely done.

--- HA, their ‘quiet’ encore re-entrance, “One Foot,” is blaring.

--- Their last song, “Stars,” features the line “miss you so much” -- clever.  It also features Kanye-level autotune.

--- Overall, it was a satisfying show.  I’m sure the next concert will be equally…fun.  (Gah, writing that last line was painful.  Hope at least Mr. Mingo enjoyed it…)

Grade: B+