226 -- Foo Fighters -- Friday, July 6, 2018 -- Merriweather Post Pavilion -- Columbia, MD

I was afraid I couldn’t make it from my crazy camp job to Merriweather in time.  Turns out I made great time and was able to catch up with Kevyn Allgeier and Tom Swindell before the show!   

OMG, we are SO CLOSE.


The band tears through “All My Life,” “Learn to Fly,” and “The Pretender.”  Guess they’re not starting with Concrete and Gold — good!!

And now Dave Grohl is eating his hair.  Again and again and again. 

Yessss at “do you worship rock and roll?”

“The Sky is a Neighborhood” happened. 

Oooh, female singers on stage.  #UsToo?

“Rope” riff......wheeeee.  Mega drum raise adds to it.  Best part?  Dave just sits on the side, sipping a beer, soaking it all in!!!!

“Sunday Rain” by Taylor Hawkins is a nice change of pace.

Eagle-eyed Kevyn notices that the stage lights up top say FF: nice!!

The chill factor is unreal right now.

Dave: “Sorry it took an hour to say hello.  Hello.  Local Maryland lingooooooooooooo.”

“Ronny Jaffney, give it to the hometown.”!!!

Awwwww, Tom’s cooing “These Days.”  Total new appreciation for the song.  Friggin’ pacing.  Lyrics too.  Related to what I perceive as the decline of rock itself makes the experience so beautifully sad!!!!!  Omg “Walk” is even better, especially with the “never wanna die” lyric.

Dave: “For those unaccustomed to Foo Fighters shows, these are my nipples…When I come back to this area, I make it my personal obligation to put on a kick-a-- show.”

Awwww at the old guy flipping out at WABA, then DC-101, then HFS.  In his honor, Dave’s about to play some Alice Cooper.  “That’s some WABA s--- right there.”

HA: Dave’s daring the guitarist to get up on the front speakers they don’t normally have.

I love that there are zero set pieces or pyrotechnics.  JUST LIKE BRUCE.

Nate St. Mendel on the bass guitar.  Heh, during “Another One Bites The Dust,” Dave admits, “been in the band for 21 years, and I’ve never seen Nate on a speaker like that.”

They play “Imagine” to the lyrics of Van Halen’s “Jump.”  Whoa.  Bold.

Pat Smear doesn’t like “Blitzkrieg Bop,” lol.  Good Rock Club memories!!

Heh: Dave calls Taylor Hawkins the “love of my life, the best German I know, what would happen if Freddie Mercury and Kelly Slater had a love child."

Hella fun “Under Pressure” with The Struts guy, Taylor, and Dave swapping off on drums. 

“Wheels”: apparently it’s big in Germany.  Not here...  I appreciate the guts playing it though.

Awwww at Kevyn flipping out during “This Is A Call.”

“Breakout” kills with the lights!!!

Awww at birthday girl shotgunning with Dave.  Dave: “Now I’ve gone to college.”  Lol.

It’s good that they incorporated the female trio into “Dirty Water.”  Such a strong shift in the back half.

A brand new appreciation for “Run”!!!

I literally lost multiple songs to emotion.  Best “Best of You” I’ve heard. 

“Everlong”!!!!!  Perhaps my favorite concert-ending song ever, thanks to the kid below. A sad anticipation I've had as a future father is how little rock music seems to be on the horizon. When I saw this kid's excitement on his dad's shoulders, though, when Dave Grohl appeared to literally reach out to him, it gave me hope. Great music can last -- everlong.


Grade: A+

225 -- U2 -- Monday, June 18, 2018 -- Capital One Arena -- DC

This U2 concert is off to a good start.  I just walked up to Capital One Arena a minute before the show starts, and a front-row seat is available.  Gotta love hidden same-day tickets!!

Cool effect where a screen gradually reveals the band coming in MIDCROWD.

The dancing, shirt-waving guy in front of me is a good cheerleader.

Hehe at everyone’s phone flashlights during “Lights of Home.”

“I Will Follow”!!  Heh: “this is not a new song.”  “We’re a band from Dublin, Ireland.  If you let us in, we’ll never leave.”

The guitarist is so close to me!  Pink Shirt Crowd Man is like a fifth member of the band!!  Now I’m alive.

“Beautiful Day.”  Tear at the post-9-11 memories...  It makes me consider Life After The Current President. 

HA, Bono references the “Stanley-Cup-winning Washington Capitals.” 

Interesting: “Iris” is Bono’s mother, the inspiration behind the 2015 album Songs of Innocence. Cool (if literal) visual of Bono walking through his childhood street while performing.

Friday, May 19, 1974: “Bloody Sunday.”  “How long, how long must we sing this song?”  The visuals, again, are so literal, but affecting nonetheless.  Wow, this was the biggest loss of life in one day in Irish history, and no one has been brought to justice.

If he does not mention the children on the border at some point, I WILL NOT UNDERSTAND.

Uhhhhh...he just spit a stream of water into the crowd.  My mom, in spirit, is appalled.

Umm, there’s this graphic novel unfolding on screen, and I have no clue what it means.  I wish I understood the two most recent albums and could make a lick of sense of it.  I like, though, that they’re going for it -- no need to pander to casual fans.

Heh: “Are you ready to get elevated?”  Nice funk in Hark’s “Elevation.”  For me, it’s a rare midtempo song that works.

Heh: “Any Spanish speakers in the house?  Vamos a una fiesta.”  “Vertigo”!!

Bono: “What’s the use of innocence when experience seems so much more fun.”

Still funny: “There goes the best wearer of a white blazer since Clark Gable.”

“Are we feeling Experience tonight?  Are we feeling like a little loss of Innocence?”  Odd, stilted call-and-response.  “Maybe we’ll get a little Innocence back after election season.” <--- but="" frustratingly="" i="" ll="" o:p="" oblique="" reference="" some="" substance="" take="" the="" to="">

This Bono devil half-hologram is super awkward, but at least it brings this: “So nice to hear people using the Bible to justify anything they want.”  Take that, Sessions!

Devil figure: “It’s when you don’t believe I exist that I do my best work.”  Even when people know he exists, he’s doing an awful lot, but overall, I get it.

It’s not quite the Adele Election Night Debacle, but it’s hard to concentrate amidst thoughts of the families at the border.

Heh, there’s nothing very Pop about the 90s album Pop — their psychedelic period.  Awww, it’s when they fell in love in music again, started to raise their kids, and peace came to Ireland!!!  “Staring At The Sun,” Hark’s other song. 

Props for their inclusion of Charlottesville videos.  And then, unexpectedly, we’re in the stratosphere, consumed by images of MLK, current marches, and pledges of solidarity with people at all borders.  Amen, Bono, amen.

Grade: B+

p.s.  They did not actually play "With or Without You," but it was so great in the recent Americans series finale that it's the first song I'm embedding here.

224 -- Franz Ferdinand -- Wednesday, April 11, 2018 -- 9:30 Club -- DC

“Always Ascending” stays on the ground.

“Oooh, the lead singer’s Scottish,” says Hark.  Heh.

“Dark Side of the Matinee”!!!  I love that Hark and I listened to it and discussed it in depth in the car right before we walked into the club!

Low expectations for “The Fallen (Troubled Boy),” so it was a lot of fun. 

“Love is going to come as a photographer.”  Intriguing line!!  As a song, though, “Glimpse of Love” is barely likable.

Pretty generic crowd work (DC chants), but at least they’re acknowledging us.

“Finally,” off the new album, is not great.

“Do You Want To” picks back up.  Hehe, they shamelessly throw “9:30 Club” into the lyric! 

“Lois Lane” has a great synth section!!

“Darts of Pleasure”!!!! London club flashback.  “Super fantastic” indeed.

The way he says “sweet love iLLUMination” drives me friggin’ nuts. Hark calls me over, “I like this one.”  Squeeee!!!! 

“The academy award for good times goes to you” is an intriguing line.  Wish I could say the same thing about the song itself (“The Academy Award”).

Oh, so there’s a reason “Take Me Out” is popular — it rocks!!!  Love that they also still like it.

“Huck and Jim”: starts slow, gets better.  “Heh, coming to America, sipping 40s with Huck and Jim.”

“Ulysses”’ funk has got you highhhh.

Heh: “I don’t want to be presumptuous, DC.  Do you want to hear another song?”

“Lazy Boy”: diverting in the moment, but a waste of a slot in the encore.

I’d never liked “Michael” on the album, by the rhythm live was sickkkk!!!!  Hark prompts ME.

“Are you in the mood to feel the love tonight, DC?”  Initially, I cheekily said, “Not for ‘FeelThe Love Go.’”  That said, it won me over — solid mid-tempo number, and Hark rub helped!

I’ve never heard any performer say “DC” so often, lol.  It must be rough for them to perform in Muskogee.

“This Fire”!!!!!  They just burned DC to the *ground.*  Best li song of 2019.  What a way to end.

Grade: A+

223 -- Dispatch -- Wednesday, December 20, 2017 -- Rams Head Live -- Baltimore, MD

“Be Gone”!  Less power than usual since everything’s acoustic, but it’s still a good song, and there’s an unexpected smoke ending.

The drums give “Only The Wild Ones” good energy.  LOL, they take out the verse that references Charlie Rose!!!

Apparently it’s the last show of the tour – lucky us.

“Curse + Crush”: strong song made subpar by the random band chatter mid song.  It was supposed to be funny, but it feeds the off-task monsters around me.  (Kevin excluded off course.)

“Painted Yellow Lines”: the “uhuhuh”s pick it up at the end.

“Skin The Rabbit”: Wooo at the song and, more importantly, the guy behind me who says “wooo”!!!

Yay, Kevyn moves closer to the front on his own.

“Midnight Lorry”: decent funk and a cool space section.

“Begin Again”: dedicated to Pete Francis, their opener who’s bravely battling depression.

“Rice Water”!!  Unexpected aggression.  Nice.

“Windylike”: meh.  Salvaged by one drum gust near the end.

“Ghost Town”: didn’t know it was about heroin — interesting, especially since it’s upbeat.

“Atticus Cobain”: memorable title, forgettable tune.

Kevyn asks if I want to move down.  Yes!!

SET TWO

“Bound By Love”: love the meaningful call-and-response and the shades of Coco!  Somehow I totally missed it previously.

“The General”: visions of Tom Swindell come to mind — immediately.

“Josephine”: underrated — so smooth!!

Heh, Kevyn finds a snug railing spot — good for him.

“Flag”: Barely know it.  I should.  It’s dark, strong, and has so many shades of Coco.  Best of the night!!!

“Steeples”: They add a whole new “woo” element.  It bring me back to the dirt hills of Oaxaca in 2006!!!

“Fallin’” back to Earth.

Wow, someone’s been carrying a five-year-old on their shoulders for four shows.

Yay that they lied — “Passerby” is not their last song!  The lie helped though — now I’m all in for “Elias.”  I’m ready to recall the hills I rocketed down on my bike at William and Mary!

“Thanks for giving us a home away from home Baltimore.  You caught us off guard.  We’ve raised over $9,000 tonight.”

“Dear Congress.”  Whoa.  Chills.  !!!!  The fact that all four of them are gun owners makes the gun-control message resonate even more.

After all the acoustic, “Flying Horses” and “Elias” SLAY.  What a second set comeback!

Grade: A-

222 -- Haley Reinhart -- Thursday, November 9, 2017 -- Highline Ballroom -- NYC

Meeting James’ new boyfriend is a great start to the night.  He seems like a keeper.

“Better” throws a NYC reference in the first line — nice. 

HA at this line from Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”: “hop on the VW bus; we’re going to take you to psychedelia town.”  I’m not used to hearing such a strong voice this close!  Most of my bands aren’t driven by vocals — not ones like these.

“The Letter”: worthy of Joe Cocker and Keira McMenamin.

HA at Haley’s comment: “It’s getting hot in here.”  James Porter and Matt Fender (and presumably Nelly) concur.

Wooo at Haley taking off the sunglasses; she’s immediately more connected with the crowd.  Linking “Can’t Find My Way Home” to her traveling band parents adds more.  I like how it doesn’t overdo the vocals.

“Wonderland” exists.

“Good or Bad”!!  I’m such a slave to guitars.  The guitarist has a(n admittedly strong) solo at the end, and suddenly I love the vocals, the dancing, everything.

“Check Please”!!!  What a sly reinvention of “Shout”!  The guitarist is on the ground too — and none of it feels like a gimmick!

Aww, she’s jealous of the 60s too.  https://youtu.be/Z4Px9m4E5qM

“Time Of The Season”: Whoa, the dreadlocked pianist has a great voice.

Awww, a song she co-wrote with Casey Abrams, “Bring The Love Back.”  Not worth falling off the stage, but solid.  I take that back: the acapella bookends make it worth it.

She jokes(?) that she offered “Somewhere In Between” to Quentin Tarantino.

“Sunny Afternoon”: a Kinks cover.  Nice restraint and “can I hear” snaps at the end.

“For What It’s Worth”: It’s familiar and relevant, so it was powerful.  Love the way the guitarist literally creeps the guitar upward during the “it will creep” line.

Nice body rapper and vocal runs during “Baby It’s You.”

Awww at the tenderness of “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”  For me, a little overmodulated in parts, but I enjoyed it.

“My Cake”!!!!  Went around the circle with solos for the entire band!  The drummer, keyboardist, and BASS GUITARIST were sick.  Haley’s vocal power brought the whole thing together.  Co-written by Casey Abrams.

“These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” features a slick new black outfit.

Awww at the shoutout to James’ Postmodern Jukebox.  She’ll be on tour with them in Europe.

The fact that she does not mention American Idol once strikes me as disrespectful and immature.  It brings the show down a quarter-grade for me, but I’ll end on the following positive performance…

“Creep”!!!  So many details: power notes, head swirls, one NY reference, one F word, and several understated/unexpected growls.  Nice.

Grade: A-

''

221 -- Bruce Springsteen -- Friday, November 4, 2017 -- Walter Kerr Theater -- NYC

This Bruce concert was different than any prior Bruce concert.  First, it was a Broadway show, so no phones allowed.  Thus, no notes to revisit memories.  What I do remember is being disappointed in the very beginning.  He actively stopped singalongs and discouraged mid-song applause.  What kind of pretentious, lifeless event was this – against the very spirit of Springsteen?!

What it turned out to be was brilliant.  The shift to quiet made it unbelievably intimate, a performance he put on for you in his living room.  Plus, when applause that did break out at the end of each brief set, it was thunderous.  Another thrilling surprise was how almost the whole show was new material.  During the preceding months, I’d read Born To Run, the memoir the perform was based on, took a road trip to Jersey to visit the sites, and met with two separate groups of friends to discuss it – first, Ben Marzouk, Pierre Dumong, Evan Davis, and Joe Kessler in DC; then, Jim Andrukonis, Steve Mull, Ryan Mull, Cathy Faraj, Emily Trone, and Mike Trone in Crystal City.  The book, trip, and discussions were all great, but I thought they were it.  He’d read from the book, play a few songs, and be done.

What he actually did was include never-released passages, flip songs in bold ways, and bring the house down.  Most remarkable was his rendition of “Born in the USA,” a song I’ve never liked…until that night.  Seeing the concert on Netflix is not the same as being in the theater, but based on media reports, it does come close…        

Grade: A+

220 -- Foo Fighters -- Saturday, October 14, 2017 -- Richmond Coliseum -- Richmond, VA

“Run”: clearly a song about Hark, who now owns the land-speed record for buying and returning with a hot dog.  Good for him.

Dave Grohl to the crowd: “Haven’t been to Richmond in a while. Let’s do a long one then.”  HA. [Edit after the show: The length ended up being an issue.  Hark had most of his energy drained hours earlier by news that our awesome surrogate was found medically ineligible.  To his credit, he soldiered through, and everything ended up working out kid-wise. :)]          

“Learn To Fly”!!!  I’ve never heard it at a Foo Fighters show, and I get to hear it with Hark — it’s his song. (For the record, Hark sings it better than Dave — much better.)

“The Pretender”!!!  Awesome riff in the middle.

Lol at Dave stopping in the middle of “Sky is a Neighborhood” and yelling at the audience: “Can I finish the f’ing song please?”

Awww at Hark bouncing along to Chicago’s “Something From Nothing”!

Proud that I can call “Walk” from the opening chords.  The fact that Hark was a fan of it beforehand made me relisten to it and gain new appreciation.  Tied for the best of the night so far!!!

“Rope.”  As a song, meh.  The riffs are friggin’ great though, so wooo “Rope.”  Almost sounds like jazz?!  Whoa, Taylor Hawkins’ drumset approaches the ceiling! Nice transition to...

“Sunday Rain,” the Paul McCartney song.  Like the funk and the section where the guitars and drums fade, giving a few seconds of just Hawkins vocals.  He’s not a great vocalist, but that makes it feel sincere.  Even the lower-tier songs feel strong!!

Dave: “Ladies and gentleman, hi.”  “We just played ten songs and didn’t even say anything.”  Unprecedented.

“My Hero,” an acoustic-to-percussive triumph.

“These Days”: I never appreciated this song!  Such wistful lyrics and circular delivery. “One of these days your heart will cease to beat...but that’s okay”!!!

“Let It Die”!!!!  Dave:“This is for the old school fans.  We haven’t played this live in years.”  Gah, I know. Hark says, “I like this one” without prompting = YES!

“All My Life”!!!!  I groaned at first because it was two hyper-intense ones right after one another, but it WORKED.  At the end: “Time to burn this place down, m’f’ers.”  InDEED!

Some “flying machines” song: meh.

“White Limo”: meh.

Dave promises a woman with a sign two picks if she’ll take down the sign blocking the people in front of her.  He “admires her persistence” though.  I tell Hark, “Maybe we should would be interested in surrogacy.”  “Yes,” he grins.

“Breakout”: wooo, There Is Nothing Left To Lose.  Cool audience light show towards the end.

“Make It Right”: cool 70s vibe.  Wears out its welcome though.  Picture of some of blond 80s guy I should clearly know.  The tone-less loud-ness continues.  Gah.  “I’m In Love With My Car” by Queen drummer Roger Taylor inspired Taylor Hawkins to play guitar and sing.

“Skin and Bones”: much better/simpler.  Accordion for the win!

Dave gives every band member their moment and every member of the nosebleeds their moment.  “Put the lights on them.  They don’t even have lights?!”  PERSONALIZATION, folks.  Other musicians: LEARN FROM DAVE.

Dave: “I’m not going to have you have a bass solo because no one like those. [Audience boos.]. Oh, you do like them?”

Hark: “His sister went to Virginia Center?”  (HA, after Dave mentioned that his sister went to VCU.)

“Monkey Wrench”!!!! I thought it would be a letdown, but NOPE.

Comments to Hark: “He’s kind of phoning it in...I wonder if he also gave people badges at his wedding.”

Hehe at the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 finger comedy before the enore.

“Dirty Water”! Remains my favorite song on the new album.  Not an all-time classic, but strong.

Awww at the guy behind me screaming “Aurora”!!!

“This Is A Call.”  Hark is dancing up a storm — nice!

Mehhh at “La Dee Da.”  Worst song they’re ever released?

“Wheels.” Aww, crowdfunded show at the National in Richmond “one of the greatest live experiences of his life.”  There was no space between the crowd and him — how he likes it.

“Congregation”: unexpected resurgence.

“Concrete and Gold.”  “Here’s a song we’ve never played live.”  I know why — it’s TERRIBLE!  The lights add a little, but overall, UGH.

“Everlong”: like the no-frills straightforward version as finale.

Grade: A