Let’s get my disappointment out of the way at the outset: they played almost no Neon Bible. Getting to hear just one track from my favorite Arcade Fire album (also my first) was frustrating – especially when a few of the songs they played instead were second-rate.
That said, everything else about the show was awesome. See why below:
--- I like that they didn't start with “Reflektor;” “Afterlife” was an unexpected anthem.
--- Ha, Win Butler primed the crowd with “DC” chants so early. Glad he did not fit the indie snob label.
--- Glad I was able to share the show with Mike Vance, Andrew Schmadel, and (in spirit) Matthue Rama, Marianne Ward, and Augusta McKenzie. They seemed to enjoy it as well.
--- “Neighborhood 3 (Power Out).” God, I've heard that so many times prepping after school. Yet it was better live.
--- “Rebellion (Lies)”!! Lol: Win threw a water bottle, and everyone dove for it. “Sleeping is giving in, no matter what they tell ya.”
--- Surprised I recognized and automatically head bobbed “Joan of Arc” from the new album.
--- “Getting Right,” an unreleased track off Reflektor. So that’s why they didn’t release it...
--- When you've listened to an album a hundred times, you recognize and like minor songs like “Month of May.” Cool washed-out, trippy ending I hadn't noticed before.
--- “The Suburbs”: the first song that was actually less good live. It has this corny, bouncy charm on the album; here it just felt limp. Cool ending though, including an audience slow clap.
--- “Ready to Start”!!! RHYTHM. Vivid imagery as well: “The businessmen they drink my blood – like the kids in art school said they would.”
--- $1 from each ticket goes to Partners In Health. Good for them.
--- “Neighborhood (Tunnels)”!! Their first song, notttt my first time hearing it. Listen to it every time I'm stressed. Even better now when I'm stress free.
--- “No Cars Go”!!
--- What’s the “Haiti”an word for lackluster…
--- “Time we join the modern world and allow people to marry.” I did not know that “We Exist” was a marriage song.
--- “Mountains II (Sprawl)”: nice change of pace.
--- HA: there are these human-size Obama, Biden, and Founding Fathers dancing on the front and back stages. What's going on?!
--- Hahaha, Win just takes a selfie -- during “Reflektor.” Get it?
--- “Normal Person”: unexpectedly great. Worth the red confetti. Plus, he just said, “Nice to be here at The Black Cat.” What a reference!!! Should have texted Matt DeCarlo in Richmond.
--- “Here Comes the Nighttime.” Mega confetti! Best line I'd never noticed: “If there's no music in heaven, what's it for?” So true.
--- “Wake Up”!!! Should have texted Mike Erickson in Richmond.
--- One thrown tambourine, two caught tambourines, and three lightly-tapped bongos: what an ending.
Grade: A-
--- "Love and Memories"!!! The best opener of any of the six July concerts. Cathy chorus, comprehensible lyrics, and total band-crowd connection. I'm jumping every other line.
--- “We're OAR, from Rockville MD.” Heh, the crowd explodes. “I have just been informed this is the 10th time we've played Merriweather. I think this time is special.” Explodes again. No wonder this is much better than when they played at 9:30 Club: homecourt advantage.
--- “About Mr. Brown” gets a Merriweather reference! As does this appropriate lyric: “what'd you say about this [beautiful] weather?” The ending also shows their music remains relevant: “stand up, hold your ground.” This song features a trumpet, trombone, AND sax: Phillip Phillips can't compete.
--- Oooh, dark blue vibe. “Right On Time.” Marc Roberge's voice is so clear.
--- The only small thing holding the concert back is me not really knowing certain songs, like this new one, “Hands up.”
--- Definitely like “52-50,” with its fierce, sax-driven “rain on / hey” part. “I know I'll be home, one day, TO STAY.” This is not just a jam; it’s a story!!!
--- “Favorite So-ng-ng-ng.” Not a true title, it’s too poppy, but it’s still enjoyable.
--- My criticism of their 9:30 Club concert was it was low energy. Based on tonight, I can’t believe that was true!
--- “Shattered.” The vocal clarity is so appreciated. Lyrics are more meaningful when you understand them! Roberge, after the audience sang an entire verse: “It's like a dream come true.” Aww!!
--- “Hey Girl.” Nooo, iPhone stop running out of battery! This one's enjoyable too -- saxxxx! Trrrrrumpet -- the guy spontaneously high fives the whole front row! “I told him my bandmate, ‘When you get to MD, you're gonna be knocked out’…..I've been in that field section many times. Crazy things happened in that field, man.”
--- Roberge’s favorite song off the new album: “We'll Pick Up Where You Left Off.” Not mine.
--- “The Architect”: meh. “Heard The World”: woo.
--- “Heaven.” The brass players sing! “I don't want heaven if they don't want me” is a memorable line.
--- “I Will Find You” has POWER. Aww at the River Road reference and the switch to “I *Found* You” at the end.
--- “Peace” after the encore. Gah, "Crazy Game of Poker" would make a great transition after this. They better do it. Please do it.
--- They did it!! Flying playing cards!!!
--- Lol, Phillip Phillips is back – for George Harrison's “When My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Great contrast to end the show.
Grade: A
Phillip Phillips was my fourth American Idol concert. I previously saw Elliott Yamin in DC, Crystal Bowersox in DC, and all the Season 12 finalists in Charlotte. On the one hand, Phillip ranked dead last in terms of personality. The only performer I have seen with less charisma was Jack Johnson. That’s not saying much, though, considering that the fly who buzzed around the frets of Johnson’s guitar had more charisma. On the other hand, Phillip’s music was probably closer to my genre that any of the other Idol finalists.
How did those two elements come together during the concert? By canceling each other out. See what I mean below:
--- “Man on the Moon.” Heh, trumpet guy's the star. PP spurs on the crowd a bit already: nice. Awesome electric jam!
--- Some monotone mumble.
--- “Fly.” Nice mood piece. Would fit well with the infamous “Fly” episode of Breaking Bad. Lol at the hard rock cello. The trumpet and jamming is making me crave an eventual Dave
Matthews show.
--- I literally have no clue what he said to the crowd. He says “I want you to be really loud for this next one” WITH NO VOCAL INFLECTION.
--- “Raging Fire” is hilariously upbeat. The crowd-prompted “ah-ah-ah”s are so pleasant and rage-free.
--- Less pleasant is the sentence he just slurred after the song.
--- “Get Up Get Down” is meh live…...Until the trumpet jam!! The trumpet’s the best part of each song! This one was especially good because the vocals came back at the end -- and were so much better with the buy-in.
--- I recognize "Lead On" -- yay for me! The song's nothing special, but it's worth noting that there's no vocal falloff from the albums. His voice was not exactly his strong suit on Idol, but anyone who makes it through the show has to be competent. Ooh, a trombone comes in. Of course it's the star of the song. Would have been bettered if the vocal returned, but it’s still cool.
--- “Alright,” he whispers. This guy needs his own late-night talk show…
--- “Gone Gone Gone” rules. Hahaha, I thought the line was "cause I'm drunk and can't stop bleeding"; turns out it's "like a drum, baby, don't stop beating." The real lyrics are much better. ;) His 15-second smile after the song seems genuine. Woo, actual personality!
--- Heh at two guys' "Phil-lip Phil-lips" sports chant.
--- Wish “Alive Again” and “Unpack Your Heart” had jams.
--- “Where We Came From” had a jam at the end and this cool spoken-word rap thing, so it's much better.
--- Ooh, dark mood beginning: promising. “Trigger”!! Abrupt ending, but by far the best of the night. Mounting tension the whole time and a strong vocal. The jam wasn’t the excitement; it added to the excitement.
--- Quote from the girl next to me: “Maybe Phillip doesn’t know he’s mumbling?” The natural followup: does his manager?
--- Apparently a cover of Peter Gabriel's “Digging in the Dirt.” Which he does not explain to the crowd. Love the extended clapping drum solo though. And how during it, some guy went "Let's Go O's."
--- “Home”!! The only way to end the show, the only good coronation song in American Idol history. Totally worthy of the whistle it got from a guy in the bathroom after the show.
Grade: B
For years, I would never have considered seeing Fall Out Boy. The negative association I had with them from my first year teaching was too much to handle. Fortunately, I got over that experience, and seven years later, I was able to enjoy a heckuva show.
--- “The Phoenix”!! Killer opener. Fire used with a purpose. So much better than Paramore.
--- “This Ain't a Scene; It’s an Arms Race.” Such a memorable chorus.
--- “Alone Together” is better still; the chorus and verses are catchy.
--- “Suga, We're Goin Down.” The crowd is unbelievable.
--- “Sometimes it doesn't just ‘get’ better. That seems to undersell a generation of kids. Sometimes you have to crack the pavement for it to get better." Deep stuff, Pete Wentz.
--- Random “99 Problems” drum solo where the drum set moved backwards. Okay…
--- “Dance, Dance.” Props to Patrick Stump losing close to nothing vocally from the albums.
--- “I Don't Care.” A lot of other people do! They also like “Light ‘Em Up.”
--- “Just One Yesterday.” Heh, Stump loves popping balloons, like bubble wrap. “Popping is the best part.” Truth.
--- “Grand Theft Autumn / Where Is The Boy.” This hulk in the audience spins like a madman: HA.
--- “Save Rock and Roll.” The band members look cool walking on multi-level black staging.
--- Awww, Wentz plays “We Are the Champions” as a shout out to his non-punk-rock dad who still taking him to so many punk shows as a kid. The dad dancing with his daughter during it!
--- “Young Volcanoes.” Another well-written, satisfying song. I will actually download each of the albums *after* the concert. When have I done that before?!
Grade: B+ / A-
Paramore could not have done anymore to make me like them. I really thought they would fit the model of my first Rise Against show. I thought their live performance and ebullient fanbase could make up for the fact that I did not really know or like most of their albums. Ultimately, they couldn’t make up for it, but I was able to enjoy numerous moments over the course of the show.
--- “Still Into You” sounds a bit like “Beat It.” Ha, the crowd's obsessed.
--- “That's What You Get (when you let your heart win).” Gotta admire how much everyone's into it.
--- Hayley Williams looks like the pop-punk girl without a dragon tattoo. Either that or a girl who moonlights as an aerobics instructor.
--- “I want you to all look all the way back there to the back of the lawn. There are PEOPLE there.” Nice.
--- “We'll save the talking for later. For now we have to rip into you some more.”
--- Love the “Monkey Wrench”-style pause during "Ignorance is Your New Best Friend."
--- “Decode” is a force of nature -- such moody build.
--- Aww, ten years ago at Merriweather, ten people saw them falling off a forest stage. Hard work pays off!
--- If I could recognize any of the songs, this would be amazing.
--- "The Only Exception." Yay, slow love song: that means distinguishable words! Sounds oddly country.
---Genuinely moving intro to “Last Hope.” Combating depression is certainly relevant to mention. The song itself is great too -- especially before the instruments kick in. Yessss. Intelligibility! “Let it happppen” -- I will actually listen to this on the way home.
--- "Brick by Boring Brick": reminds me of a fairy tale castle. Red confetti!
--- Hahahah, the crowd flips out for "Misery Business." Aka the hourglass song. “How well do you know this song, on a scale of one to coming up and singing with us?” This guy named Tim comes up and sings with a golden mic! And the crowd spontaneously started a "Tim Tim Tim" chant after he left!! By far the best part of the night.
--- Some less jumpy song I was able to breathe during.
--- Um, she’s mood rumbling on the ground... "What a mess" -- agreed... Technically it's called “Part II.”
--- During “Proof” and “Ain't it Fun,” streamers, colorful balls, and more confetti (white this time) fly down. I’d prefer an emotional connection, but it’s better than nothing.
Grade: B
Walking into the New Politics show, I was already in a good mood. Minor as it sounds, I found it so satisfying that Merriweather posted exact set times for the three bands on the phone, their website, and the ticket window. All venues should do that -- or at least one of the three. I was also happy to have gotten upgraded from a lawn seat to the front row for less than $20 the day of the concert!
The actual show was far from perfect, but in general, good vibes continued throughout…
--- The standing-room-only crowd I'm in is pumped for songs they don't even know. Awesome.
--- The guy in front of me has a baseball cap from BradPaisley.com. Question mark.
--- Please “Give Me Hope” that the whole night will not be destroyed that by the eardrum-thudding bass that swallowed that entire song. The next song, “Berlin,” talks about a heart exploding – it feels like a different part of the body...
--- The band is doing everything they can to ingratiate themselves with the crowd despite the sound. Omg, lead singer David Boyd just did a ten-second crowd hand stand while singing!!! Don’t even care that I can’t recognize any lyrics.
--- Whatever dubsteppy junk this is is fine because Boyd is doing The Worm, The Spinning Worm, and a Lyric-Linked No-Hand Handstand!!!
--- “Just Like Me”: whoa, I can recognize actual words. Helps when you have nursery-rhyme-simple lyrics.
--- “We're from Copenhagen, which you may not know much. If you go home and don't remember us much, no worries. Frankly, that sounds about right. We still want to say, though: follow what you believe in. Don’t let anyone stop your dreams.” Humble inspiration: nice.
--- “Harlem”! They added this strange Nirvana ending which did not seem to fit. As usual, though, that became irrelevant, as they were able to charm even the people in the back out of their seats.
--- If New Politics developed vocals, gravitas, and vulnerability, they'd be dangerous.
Grade: B+
As soon as I arrived in my upper deck seat, the girl next to me apologized. She was concerned I would be offended by her loud whoo’ing. I laughed and explained that there was nothing to apologize about. It meant some rare life in the cheap seats! It was also a great sign for the rest of the night…
--- Adam Lambert began “Now I'm Here” by half-exposing his sunglasses -- oh, that saucy frontman... Yay that’s he’s already invoking “New…York…City.”
--- LOVE the high-definition big-screens they put up so the limited-view nosebleed section can see. Other than the crowd, which is actually a bit limp, these seats are probably better than the mezzanine!
--- “Stone Cold Crazy.” Don't know the song but the rat-a-tat translates.
--- Ba-da-duh-duh-duh, “Another One Bites the Dust.”
--- “Fat Bottomed Girls”! Great late-song guitar solo: by far the best so far.
--- Elton John intro for “In The Lap of the Gods (Revisited).” Lol at Adam Lambert's glittery shawl half-opening to reveal a black tank top. A lot of smoke and flashing lights for an early song.
--- Lol at him cat sprawling all over the purple-couch tacouch. (*tacky couch*) Apparently “Killer Queen” is not “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The intro had me fooled.
--- HA: “When I get lonely, I drink alone and douse myself in rhinestone -- like any sensible gay would do.” This quip makes up for spitting wine into the crowd and saying the people should be thankful for it…
--- “Somebody to Love!” Spinning body, singalongs, vocal acroBATics.
--- “I Want It All.” Solid guitar solo.
--- “Love of My Life”!!!!! Adam Lambert leaves, Brian May approaches center stage, and you have eight minutes of vulnerable, band-crowd magic. May gasps, “Oh my god. Bucket list. Lord knows I'm not a singer. Who could imagine we'd be welcomed back as rock gods all these years later? Freddie would sit in the seat next to me -- maybe you could be him.” The crowd then did their best to sing the words they knew…before being joined by a recording of Freddie at the climax. The best concert moment of Summer 2014.
--- “39” and some other lackluster song. The Copacabana drum solo was enhanced by the connection between Roger Taylor and his son.
--- Perfect transition to “Under Pressure.” A bit jarring when Lambert The Impostor returns, but they work it out quickly. The song ends up strong.
--- Brian May: “Ladies and gentleman: I just have one question. What do you think of the new guy?” Heh.
--- Adam Lambert: “By the way, I have to stop and give props, beyond props, to the one and only Freddie Mercury.” Smart / necessary.
--- “Love Kills,” some obscure/meh song from the film Metropolis. Yeah, it kills the momentum...
--- “Who Wants to Live Forever” is MADE for Adam Lambert.
--- I first wrote: “Intriguing bass chords of death from Brian May. Some might hate it, but I appreciate the experimentation.” Seven minutes after that, I took back everything I said, “This is a rock concert, not Fantasia. Give it a rest already. In. Dull. Gent.
--- “Give Me That Love”! Exhausting and AL still kind of seems like a jerk, but I appreciate the amount of time he spent getting the crowd to learn rhythms.
--- “Radio Gaga.” The clapping part is good.
--- AL fake sneers “that's it?” to the audience's reaction. Um, the joke doesn't work if it's too close your usual pose...
--- “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”! Nice little moment with Brian May plinking the piano.
--- Oooh, vibe switch. Jordin Sparks or Melinda Doolittle should doing this song. “The Show Must Go On.” I'm a FAN.
--- “Bohemian Rhapsody”!!! Great how AL plays it straight (heh). It's a song best not messed with. HA at Brian May’s golden cape suit.
--- After the encore, the crowd finally gets up -- and remains up the rest of the time!
--- “We Will Rock You.” Lol at AL's sparkly gold suit and crown.
--- “We Are The Champions”! They…kept on fighting…till the gold confetti cannons went off. Then, it was the end.
Grade: B+ / A-
