108 -- Radiohead – Sunday, June 3, 2012 – Verizon Center – Washington, DC

There are few bands I have tried harder to get into than Radiohead.  Emily Wellikoff first got me interested in high school, Mike Schobel kept me going in college, and Matt DeCarlo / Luis Vila have kept me going since then.  Despite all this effort, however, the band never fully clicked for me.  There are songs I really enjoy on Pablo Honey, The Bends, OK Computer, Kid A, Amnesiac, Hail to the Thief, In Rainbows, and The King of Limbs, but no mind-blowing aha moment. 

Radiohead’s Verizon Center concert was much the same: a lot to like, not a lot to love.  Part of the issue was that Thom Yorke spent as much time on enunciation as he did on his wardrobe or facial hair.  The other part was that they played very few of their old songs (as Luis rightly pointed out).  Looking like a hobo and sounding like a stoner is fine if you play “Fake Plastic Trees,” “Creep,” or “Karma Police.”  Those choices might actually give you some indie cred.  If you do not play any of those songs, though, slogging through almost all of King of Limbs, you risk alienating your audience.

Fortunately, the couple of non-Limbs songs they did play were really good.  “Go to Sleep” had a solid guitar solo, “The Gloaming” / “Reckoner” had nice green-blue hues, and “Nude” had an incredible vocal.  The way Yorke caressed the ‘you’ll’ at the end was haunting – as was the inflection on ‘innocent’ in “Codex” and ‘arms’ in “Give Up the Ghost.”  Yorke may make it hard to discern most lyrics, but the few that you can hear resonate.   

The definite high point of the night was “Paranoid Android.”  Apparently I’d been living under a rock and had not known it was one of their biggest songs.  The transition from eerie to rock to eerie and back to rock was totally unexpected – and an awesome way to end the show.

Grade: B     

 

107 – Red Hot Chili Peppers – Thursday, May 10, 2012 – Verizon Center – Washington, DC

When you wait nine years for a band to a play an album, you’re bound to be disappointed – especially if they end up playing most of their mediocre new one instead.  Great as it would have been to hear them play all of Californication and none of I’m With You, it was never going to happen.  Considering this, I should recognize the good parts of the concerts – the moments that would make me try Chili Peppers again next time they come to DC:

[Note: This is effectively a live blog from the show, so it will not be smooth.]

---  “Dani California” sounds a thousand times better than the “Monarchy of Roses” opener.  Its towering cameras, lights, and expanding red sun beams are also preferable to “Monarchy”’s tribute to Pier One.  Nice drum interlude into “She's your priestess; I'm your priesttt.  Simultaneous releasssse.” 

--- “Thank you -- let's hang out for a while.”  Yay, they speak!  They just said “good to see our President finally said something sane about gay people”…to thunderous applause.

 
--- “Ethiopia” is surprisingly cool.  They also say, “Is anyone here from Sudan tonight?”  Lol.

--- “The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie” has a great opening beat and good instrumental ending – and not much in between.  Not the strongest album.

--- “Other Side”!!!  The crowd SOARS.  The guitar / vibe / spoken words are amazing too.  I'd forgotten “Other Side”’s power.

--- How have I never heard “Higher Ground”?  The lyrics are great: “Teachers keep on teachin’ / Preachers keep on preachin’ / We're gonna be a sailin' on the funky sound / Nobody's gonna bring me down / Till I reach the higher ground.”

--- “Under The Bridge” is awesome.  The creepy female body scan on the screens during it...not so much.   

--- “Californication”!  Way better on the album though.  A thousand pill bottles surrounded by a pill sun is not exactly subtle.  Um, a ssssstrong smell just wafted around me.  A cylindrical paper was just passed across me.  Awkward… 

--- “By The Way”!!  It contrasts really well with “Californication.”   Interesting subbing of a thamping horn for the steak knife parts.  Still prefer the album version.

--- HA, the crowd flips out during “Around The World.”  Such a flashback to my bike route during student teaching.  Flea just did a handstand after his drum marathon – nice.

--- Why are random fans' adult yearbook photos on the screen during “Give It Away”?

--- Wow, he just threw a drumstick into the mezzanine.  "You guys’ve been great; support live music!"  Amen to that.

Grade: B

106 -- Guster -- Wednesday, April 18, 2012 -- Lincoln Theater – Washington, DC

The Nada Surf concert I saw the week before Guster could not have gone any better; frontman Matthew Caws could not have put on a better show.  The thing is, though, Guster still beat them.  Nada Surf is a solid band who delivers solid concerts, but they cannot compete with Guster live.  At this point, virtually no one can.  Bruce / Dave own the arena, Jeff / Win own indie, Tim / Matt own punk, and all of Guster’s members own…fun.

There were few moments the entire night that band members and audience members did not seem profoundly happy.  It felt like a late night in a freshman dorm, or the end of a fraternity camping trip.  It did not matter that there were 1200 people there.  It felt like Spotswood; it felt like TDX.  It was that intimate.  For someone who was not at the Lincoln Theater that night or has not seen Guster in concert, it’s hard to replicate that vibe, but I can at least share some of the top moments:

--- The “Window” rule.  Guster had a rule that on the rare occasion that someone requests “Window,” one of their most obscure songs, they promise to exit the stage, walk into the audience, and serenade the requester!  They certainly made good on that promise.

--- All the “interacting on social media,” as frontman Ryan Miller termed it.  Twitter allowed the band to request different items for their children each show.  This time, audience members brought in piggy banks!  In turn, Miller stumbled through covers of “Here Comes the Sun” and “The Lady in Red,” quipping, “Notice how few people are asking that we perform Guster songs.”  The person that requested “Lady in Red” was none other than Miller’s mom!  Miller described it as “one of the weirdest moments of my professional career.”  I’d describe it as one of the most endearing.   

--- The opening comedy act from Curb Your Enthusiasm‘s Jeff Garlin – especially when he messed with people who came late and when he did a voiceover for the theater’s hulking, pierced bouncer.  I wish I remembered specific lines from the set, but it was definitely funny.

--- All the unplugged instruments.  Multiple acoustic guitars, a violin, a cello, and a trumpet were featured during the show.  The trumpet was especially cool since Hark Tagunicar’s friend Sal, who we randomly ran into during the show, was a big trumpet player.

--- Finding out that The Game / Chris Brown stole portions of Guster’s “Rocketship” for their “Pot of Gold.”   When asked whether he felt exploited, Miller explained, “Well, we’ve been in this business a long time, and it’s not our first time watching ‘Rocketship’ get plucked from us for the glory of others.  Isn’t that right, Clark University Counterpoints?!”

--- Finding out that whistling really adds to “Rainy Day” and silence is the best part of “Empire State.”

--- Deciding that the intro to “This Could All Be Yours” sounded like the intro to “The Captain,” “Two Points for Honesty” sounded like Mumford and Sons, and “Come Downstairs and Say Hello” sounded AMAZING.

--- Deciding that “Jesus On the Radio” was the perfect closer: a spiritual song ending a spiritual show.

Grade: A+

105 – Nada Surf – Tuesday, April 10, 2012 – Verizon Center – Washington, DC

I arrived at the show very unsettled.  Part of this was because I had just dragged a flat tire six miles across Rock Creek Parkway.  Mainly, though, I was unsettled because I did not know how Hark Tagunicar would react to Nada Surf.  He had not known much about the band, and they did not offer many pop hooks or catchy choruses.

Fortunately, I found out pretty quickly that I had nothing to fear.  Nada Surf retained the awesome chill vibe they had the previous 9:30 Club show, and this time they played their best possible combination of songs.  Everything was there: “Concrete Bed,” “Waiting for Something,” “Weightless,” “Killian’s Red,” even “Blonde on Blonde,” which I called seconds before they played it!  There were also a number of stellar one-two punches – back-to-back songs whose rhythm and mood played off each other: “When I Was Young” was followed by “The Way You Wear Your Head,” “Blonde on Blonde” was followed by “High Speed Soul,” “Visions of Love” was followed by “Always Love.” 

It was not a perfect show: “Jules and Jim” dragged, “PaperBoats” sank, and the brilliance of “The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy” ended with its title.  Emotionally, though, it was perfect.  By the time they made it to the end, to the joyful burst of expletives in “Blankest Year,” the crowd was united.  As frontman Matthew Caws said, “I’ve got everyone here, man.  I’ve been together with Dan, my [mega-dredded] bassist, and Ira, my [Jagger-esque] drummer, since I was six.  I have my dad with me here in the audience tonight, and I have all of you.  I’ve got no complaints.” 

Grade: A     

104 – Bruce Springsteen -- Sunday, April 1, 2012 – Verizon Center – Washington, DC

I can’t say this was my all-time favorite Springsteen show. There were a number of songs I somehow did not know and was not sufficiently intrigued by, there were fewer poster selections, fewer band-crowd interactions, no “River,” no “Rosalita,” no “Badlands,” and no “Jungleland.”

That said, it was still a Springsteen show, so there was a lot to love:

--- The comments from the crowd: “20 more songs, 20 more songs!...OMG, he’s 60 and so sexy!”

--- The comments from Bruce: “You’re about to see a band led by a man who has had 30 years of psychiatric care, a band who has had the number one album in America for one consecutive week!...We’re here to bring you the news with a beat, with a beat, with a beat…It’s not about 99% or 1%; it’s about being on the right side of history…A couple of weeks ago, we played a show at the Apollo Theater. All the men and women who worked the stage were our teachers and masters. History? Sam Cooke. Poetry? Smokey Robinson. Religion? Aretha Franklin. Sex Ed? Marvin Gaye. In all of that soul, there was a hint of sadness. That’s what made it real.”

--- The unexpected rhythm shift in “Trapped,” guitar solo in “Adam Raised a Cain,” and full-body spin in “Valentine’s Day.” I should really know what to expect from “The Rising” at this point, but the stream-of-lights still get me.

[Review continued below]











--- The upper deck audience. They were the best upper deck audience I have ever been a part of. They did not care that they were behind the stage; they were out of their seats clapping and singing entire time. A group of girls in the row behind me literally shook me during “Dancer” and “Born to Run,” but it was not just them. The whole section was quiet when they were supposed to be quiet, loud when they were supposed to be loud, and flipped out every time Bruce looked in their direction.

--- The kid in the front row. The kid Bruce plucked from the crowd during “Waitin’ on a Sunny Day” could not sing, but he made up for it with incredible charisma. He told the crowd to get loud without any prompting, he sat down right when Bruce sat down, and he nearly slid across the whole stage!

--- The fact that they featured three of the best new songs: the Tom-Morello-influenced “Jack of All Trades,” the Michelle-Moore-influenced “Rocky Ground,” and Bruce’s own “We Are Alive.”

--- The fact that everything old seemed new. “41 Shots” shifted from Amadu to Treyvaun, “Wrecking Ball” shifted from the Meadowlands to Wall Street, and “Land of Hope and Dreams” shifted from Clarence to his nephew Jake. For me, though, the most memorable change of the night -- and the high point of the concert overall -- was “My City of Ruins.”

Listening to “My City of Ruins” during the show was a whirlwind of emotion. First, I was thrilled to hear it because I had never heard it in concert, and I have used it in class for the past five years for a project on 9/11. In this project, my 100-something students write letters to the 100-something firehouses who lost firefighters on 9/11. The responses they have gotten, I have gotten, and my principal have gotten have been remarkable. Considering this, my second reaction to the song was discomfort because it seemed crass to change the focus of the song to anything other than 9/11.

Ultimately, though, I embraced what they did with it. I found out that the song was originally written to promote the resurgence of Asbury Park, NJ, so adapting it again made sense. Finding hope and meaning in Clarence Clemons’ memory was natural, not disrespectful. When Bruce added moans to the chorus, held the mic in the air, said “you’re here, they’re here, you’re here, they’re here,” and the audience applauded for two straight minutes, it was impossible not to be moved.

Grade: A-

103 -- The Black Keys -- Friday, March 9, 2012 –- Verizon Center -– Washington, DC

The Black Keys had an uphill battle to climb: it was a dreaded FRIDAY concert. I have gone to just three Friday shows for a reason. After a week’s worth of 5am wakeup calls, it is almost impossible for me not to doze off. Considering this, I was glad I was able to stay awake for most of the songs and have a good time. Highlights included…

--- Sitting next to a woman who was attending her first concert! The fact that the Black Keys were her favorite band made it even better.

--- The cool Winamp / iTunes backdrop

--- The mix of known songs (“Tighten Up,” “Lonely Boy”) and less known ones (“Your Touch,” “Run Right Back,” “Gold on the Ceiling”)

-- The extended “Girl Is On My Mind” intro. It reminded me a little of Explosions In The Sky. Most of the song was nothing like Explosions, but any song that in any way connects to Friday Night Lights is good in my book. ;)

--- “Little Black Submarine,” their best slow song, which featured their best line: “Every-body knows that a bro-ken heart is blind.”

Grade: B

102 -- O.A.R. -- Tuesday, February 28, 2012 -- 9:30 Club -- Washington, DC

Listening to O.A.R.’s studio albums, I had a lot of trouble getting into their sound. I kept comparing them to Dispatch, and they could not compare. “Here We Go” and “Bats in the Belfry” grabbed me from the opening beat; “Night Shift” and “Stir It Up” never really did. Dispatch’s reggae felt like rock – it had genuine excitement. O.A.R.’s reggae felt kind of…bland – like multicultural music featured in a PBS pledge drive. It was also hard to get past the wedding band blare of the saxophone and the idea that their preppy audience would really be “about a revolution.” If a revolution consisted of occasionally alternating polo with plaid, maybe; otherwise, I could not see it.

When I actually got to the 9:30 Club, though, and listened to O.A.R. live, I found that I really liked them. “Hey Girl” started slowly and built the crowd into it; the whole song felt smooth. “Crazy Game of Poker” did an even better job of this. The rhythm shift thirty seconds in had me jumping up and down.

The way frontman Marc Roberge directly engaged the audience was also impressive. He did not ignore them or insist they were the best audience ever, as so many do. He was just honest with them. A couple of songs in, he admitted, “Sorry we haven’t said much. We just want to play good music.” He then made that music better by making relevant changes in the lyrics. In “About Mr. Brown,” he changed “how about this weather” to “how about this D.C. weather.” This was not a cheap pander; he was acknowledging the unseasonably warm D.C. weather without missing a beat! The way he half spoke the lines during “Love and Memories” was equally effective.

The clear high point of the concert was “I Feel Home” – the song with the line “home to me is reality, and I need something real.” What really sold the song, besides the lyrics and the fact that O.A.R.’s actual home is thirty minutes from DC, was Roberge’s intro: “We wrote this next song sitting on a driveway in Rockville. It’s about people we don’t get to see all the time, and it makes us really happy.” As their hero in “Anyway” would say, when music like that hits you, you feel no pain…

Grade: B+