233 -- Snow Patrol -- Friday, April 26, 2019 -- The Anthem -- DC

The visuals at the start crack me up: one giant snowflake, a “Hello Washington” banner, and mobs of white people.  I don’t think I’ve ever been to a club show with an arena music-video backdrop.  On the one hand, it feels a bit literal, and the music should speak for itself.  On the other hand, it does add interesting images.

“Take Back The City”: if it’s an allusion to DC, well played.

“Chocolate” from James Porter’s college mixed CD!!

“Crack the Shutters” barely opened.

“This is the first time playing The Anthem, an amazing building...It’s been a long time, DC.  Thanks for sticking with us.”

Love the way he points to some committed fan he knows when he said, “Thanks for coming out, whether this is your first song or your 50th”!!

“Empress”: the repetition of “so damn simple” is kinda cool, but the whole thing feels low energy so far.

“This Isn’t Everything You Are” has more momentum — good.

“Open Your Eyes”!!!  It becomes this wondrous swirl of light and sound.  The video of a car gliding through a city and a hypnotic flicker halfway through was awesome.

Awww: “Kudos to the balcony.  You have seats and everything, and you choose to stand.” “Give a massive round of applause for Ryan McMullan and We Are Scientists.”

“Light Up (Run)” is so smooth.  Now that I’ve bought into the concert, I’m all about the song.  Aww at the audience joining it at end in a totally organic way!!

Wow: “This is our first tour of the mainland US in 7 years.  We’ve been together for 25 years.”

“This song took five years to write and five minutes to play.”  Yesss, “Life On Earth,” a rare song on a new album that grabbed me the start!  Sadly, it’s doesn’t amount to much live.

“Make This Go On Forever.”  Another hypnotic swirl!!!  Flows in and out effortlessly.  Credit to Gary Lightbody — no vocal dropoff from the album.

“Shut Your Eyes” benefits from a purple-green color scheme.

I like how he apologizes mid song for messing up.  No auto pilot!!

“Heal Me” is so warm!  No wonder it’s his favorite song to play live.

“The Lightning Strike” features a mesmerizing rainbow Winamp.

“Chasing Cars”!!!! The gradual rhythm shift is outstanding.  Love the way it weaves in and out of the audience.  Didn’t feel like pandering.  SYMBIOSIS by the end.

“You’re All I Have”: coasting on so much goodwill.  I don’t want the show to end.

Hahahahaha at him prepping the audience for his inability to hit the high note in “What If This Is All The Love You Ever Get?”  This is a how a performer wins over an audience.  #WhyDontMoreFrontmenDoThis  “What if it hurts like hell, then it hurts like hell.”

“Just Say Yes”: strange choice for a last song.  Like the message, too midtempo to end on.  Brings it back down to Earth.

Oh well — still left feeling happy.  For 90 minutes, I’m glad I was able to stand there and just forget the world...

Grade: A-

232 -- Muse -- Tuesday, April 2, 2019 -- Capital One Arena -- DC

I started the night disappointed because I thought I wouldn’t have time to hang out early with Tom, Kevyn, and Annie.  We end up making the most of those few shared minutes, though, tearing through Rolling Stone’s full list of the 50 Best Live Bands.  Glad to see who they chose as number one…  https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/50-greatest-live-acts-right-now-94984/

Muse is off to a strong start, the stage surrounded by a phalanx of trumpet soldiers?! 

New songs generally take a while to get into.  “Pressure” is catchy from the start.

“Psycho” has a cool light effect at the end.

The four purple ~Venus flytraps that hover in and out of “Break It To Me” may be the coolest stage visual I’ve seen at a concert!!! 

Aww, they’re playing “Uprising,” Tom’s favorite song.  I like the contrast from the previous song: just him, a mic, and the crowd.

Whoa, you can literally feel reverberating sound waves hitting your knees during “Propaganda”?!

Yay, “Plug-In Baby,” old school! 

“The Dark Side” happened.

Oooh, love the Close Encounters intro that summons “Supermassive Black Hole”!!!  Heh, “glaciers melting in the dead of night” — indeed.

I really like the way there were almost no visuals or sound tricks during “Hysteria.”  The singalong lyrics and driving rhythm really speak for themselves!!

Tom: “They really crank up the bass during the new stuff.”  True story.

In theory, the chilled-out piano version of “Dig Down” is a nice change of pace, but I just found it dull.  It’s not known enough or good enough of a song to benefit from a flip.  

Ironically, “Madness” is tame.  Heh at the guy who’s wearing Bellamy’s mini bulb glasses.  Solid U2 soar by the end.

Oooh, group selfie amid streamers.  GOOD IDEA.

“Time Is Running Out”!!! Nothing fancy, fantastic song.  Rhythm, lyrics, it’s got it.  +1 for the inflection on “since ovuLAtion.”

“Take A Bow”!!!!!  I’m so happy they finally played it.  I’ve been clamoring for years, and they did it.  Having the hyper-focused demonic lyrics and “Starlight” after made it even better.

“Algorithm” has a good rhythm.

WOW at the giant helmeted skeleton solider backdrop during the encore mashup.  Heh at the soldier touching Bellamy at one point.

“Knights of Cydonia”: harmonica intro, bouncing balls, IT GETS KEVYN TO JUMP!!!

Grade: A-

231 -- Gary Clark Jr. -- Saturday, March 30, 2019 -- The Anthem -- DC

“Bright Lights Big City” is a righteous opener!  It’s helped by the lights, the bouncing guy in front of me, and the discovery I make by the end.  I discover that I’m doing Adaptive PE warmups throughout: arm circle, neck rolls, and best of all, rock-n-rolls at a rock-n-roll show!!     

“Ain’t Messin’ Around”: nice shift to lighter vibe.  The “give it up now” chorus is catchy, as is the wicky-wicky funk section.

“What’s up, DC?”  Glad he’s not too cool to engage with the crowd, even if his words are muffled.

“I Walk Alone”: nice shift to falsetto.  Glad the song doesn’t overstay its welcome.

“When I’m Gone”: easy listenin'

“Low Down Rolling Stone”!!  Strong on the album and in person.  I dig how casual he was with the solo.  He really isn’t repeating himself.

I recognized “What About Us” from the beginning!  The smooth “there goes the neighborhood” section stands out.

Tender “Our Love” brings out yet another side.  The extended riff is earned because there isn’t one every song!  Then it transitions back to tenderness.  An organic story arc!!!!  “I’m just soaking this all up.”  Me too, man.

“Feed The Babies” is too midtempo to do much.

“Feeling Like A Million” is spacey and distinctive from the start.  The reggae works, as does the extended drive ending.

“Gotta Get Into Something”: the frenetic red wobble was so addictive!!!  Having what seemed like one total lyric (“gotta get up”) added to it.

He needs to stop mumbling when he talks to the crowd.

“I Got My Eyes On You” never gives me something meaningful to grab onto, but the end riff is sick.

“Gotta Get Into Something”!!!! “Go crazy, DC.”  That we are.  6, 9, 6, 9.  Such a happy song.

“When My Train Pulls”: the bouncer in front of me approves.  Cool twist that Gary steps out of the spotlight halfway through and whisper-plinks for two minutes straight.  The best part is him putting up his arm.  It’s a sign of some personality, so the crowd goes wild.  “Gar-EE, Gar-EE” they chant.

Surprisingly PUMPED for “This Land.”  Love the distinctive, discordant sound and angry, specific lyrics.  The jam at the end meant something!!!

“Pearl Cadillac”: The bouncer knows that this song is about his parents.  Gary mumbles credit to the keyboard player.  Love the vulnerability AND drive — perfect mirror of “This Land”!!!!  Gorgeous falsetto put it over the top.  Woo at him thanking Foo Fighters at the end.

“The Guitar Man”: Awww, “there are a lot of guitar players in here, am I right?”

Cover of Robert Peltway’s “Catfish Blues.” Like the leisurely pace at the end.

“Don't Owe You A Thang”: his vocal has surprising power.  Then there’s an unexpected hoedown.  So many friggin’ sides?!?!  Aww at him giving the opening band multiple minutes to riff.

A truly satisfying closer….“Come Together”!!!!

Grade: A-

230 -- Weezer -- Sunday, March 17, 2019 -- Royal Farms Arena -- Baltimore, MD

The barbershop quartet opener is a clever way to tease "Buddy Holly" and the coming journey through the decades. 

“My Name Is Jonas” / “The Good Life” / “Buddy Holly” is the best extended group of songs I’ve heard at any Weezer show!  “Jonas” features a playful riff at the end, and “Buddy” adds streamers to its famous pause, one of my two favorite pauses in all of music. Plus, that’s the first time I heard a full version of “The Good Life,” the song that defined London, my coming out, and this blog!!!!

Heh at “Thank God for Girls.”  Bit of a letdown. 

This is my first time hearing “Undone” in concert with the recorded sections — so much better that way!!

Lol at the Baltimore pander during “Pork and Beans.” 

Lol at their cover of TLC’s “No Scrubs,” which is apparently only the second time they’ve played it live.  So authentic...  Points for commitment though.

I’ve somehow never heard “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath before (I’m a bad person), but it’s AWESOME.

“Stand By Me” is a great follow-up, especially with Kat’s inspired gesture, linking arms with our whole upper-deck group!!!

Lol at the random van that makes its way through the crowd during the Jane’s Addiction “Up The Beach” cover.

I’m no “Beverly Hills” fan, so I appreciate the extended licks between verses.

HA: “Rock stars need to tune too — none of this prerecorded b-------.”

Glad Danny likes the line introducing “Islands in the Sun”: “time for some adult contemporary.”  It may no longer be hip, but it’s still so smooth.

I don’t care what anyone says; “Perfect Situation” is my jam.   

Lol at Kat’s dancing middle fingers and Danny’s dash to the bathroom during their cover of “Africa.” 

Why did not they not play “Only In Dreams”?!  It would have made my night and the night of so many other fans.  Oh well -- “Surf Wax” and “Say It Ain’t So” still slay.

Grade: A-

229 -- The Pixies -- Sunday, March 17, 2019 -- Royal Farms Arena -- Baltimore, MD

Whoa, the guy below us has Weezer sheet music.  I’ve heard of fans bring a scorecard to a baseball game, but sheet music at a rock concert is a new one?!

The band walk on to The Beatles’ “You Know My Name.”

“Where is My Mind?”  Wow, so early.  Heh, it’s the drunken remix. 

“Nimrod’s Son.”  Immediate, strong change of pace.  Heh, the crowd goes wild at “Son of a m’f” and “incestuous union.”

Solid sun jag during “Blown Away.”

“Here Comes Your Man” has a surfer doowop swing that seems unique for them.

“Motorway to Roswell” has a decent sound, but going nine songs without saying a word to the audience is outrageous.  All the songs meander well enough, but I wish I could find some common link, some connection.

I really like the aggressive discordance between “Winterlong” and “Dead.” 

“Mr. Grieves”!!  No clue what it means, but the back-and-forth between the dark vocals and sound is excellent.  First moment of the set for me.

“Gouge Away”!!!  The green menace that suffuses the lighting, sound, and vocals are outstanding.  Slow burn sensation.

Two screamy songs.  The Ramonesy pacing in the second half of the second one is cool.

“Classic Masher” is forgettable.  “Monkey Gone To Heaven,” thanks to its lyrics, is not. Lol: “The devil is six, six; the devil is SIX!”

“Gigantic”!!  I really like the repeated title, the riff in the middle, and the use of the female vocalist.

Nice: “In The Witching Hour,” “Wave of Mutilation,” “Isla de Encanta” have assured rhythms the whole way through.

Hahaha at Danny’s upper-deck mosh pit during “Saint Nazaire”!!!  That’s a first.

Hahaha at the playful scratch-a-thon during “Vamos” and Danny’s comment on the band’s lack of green: “It may be St. Patrick’s Day, but there’s no pandering from The Pixies.”

Grade: B

228 -- Game of Thrones: Live Concert Experience -- Tuesday, September 25, 2018 -- Capital One Arena -- DC

The gap between season seven and eight of Game of Thrones was ridiculous: 20 months.  One thing that made the wait bearable was this concert.  In it, composer Ramin Djawadi and his orchestra performed themes from the first seven seasons.  The high points for me were “Blackwater,” “The Rains of Castamere,” “The Lannister Send Their Regards,” “Hold The Door,” “Battle of the Bastards,” and “Light of the Seven” – i.e. the brilliant theme that snaked its way through Cersei’s destruction of Baelor.  I also liked the multiple times they played the music from the main credits sequence.  That opening never gets old.  The best visual was definitely the House Stark tree.  A beautiful, flowy weirwood towered over the stage, and a violinist played on top of it!  Thanks, Julie Beach, for recommending we go to the show!

  

Game: B+

Amazing Game Of Thrones Live Concert Tonight in Madrid Thanks! @GameOfThrones @Djawadi_Ramin #GameOfThronesLive #gameofthronesliveexperience #GameOfThronesLiveConcertExperience #gameofthrones pic.twitter.com/jAr18yzXVN

— Siha Shepard (@SihaShepard) May 9, 2018

227 -- Jimmy Eat World -- Tuesday, July 10, 2018 -- The National -- Richmond, VA

Chip Roberts, Kyle Clinch, and Hannah Fuerhoff are excellent hosts.  They provided the bed, libations, and enthusiasm needed for a Tuesday show.  This wasn’t just any Tuesday show however.  This was the most extreme work-week show I’ve been to – or at least tied with this one, also one of Jimmy Eat World’s.

To make it there that night, I needed to bolt directly from camp – the camp that was the most relentless 37-day experience of my life.  The plan was to leave at 5pm, marinate in 3.5 hours of I-95 traffic, and see the show.  Then I’d try to sleep before leaving for camp at 5am the next day!  Outrageous as the whole plan was, it was 100% worth it.  See the live blog below for what made it worth it...

--- This is not off to a good start. “Sure and Certain” sounds awful.  The vocal is weak, and the audio is worse.

--- “I Will Steal You Back” off Damage is vaguely better.  At least the rhythm’s an improvement.  Hopefully they’re eating all the bad vegetables first?

--- “Big Casino”!!  Glad this NJ success story from the deserts of Arizona made it to Richmond. 

--- Jim Adkins: “We have nine albums of material to get through.  Hope you tipped your babysitter.”  HA!

--- “Goodbye Sky Harbor” has a strong rhythm I never noticed because the album version has 10-plus minutes of that infernal bell.  This mostly bell-free version is so much better!!!

--- “Futures” rips from the start!

--- “Polaris.”  Nice that they’re picked lesser known tracks for big fans.

--- “Painnnnn”!!!  It’s way more internal than usual, given the space and the people around me, but it’s still good.

--- Chip to Kyle: “They’re awesome live.” :))))

--- “Pass The Baby.”  Creepy cool becomes straight-up cool.  Just as memorable as it was with Erik Kastman!!!!

--- “Just Tonight” kills too.  They are in the zone.

--- “Get Right” is solid — for a new song.  They deserve points for the abrupt ending.

--- Another new one, “It Matters.”  The title, sadly, is not accurate.

--- “Always Be” is an improvement.

--- HA at them gifting their birthday-boy keyboardist a bottle of water.  “We’re the lamest rock band ever.”

--- “Hear You Me”’s chill hits the spot.

--- “Love Never,” a brand new song, is catchy.  I can see why Kyle is into them live.

--- “Thinking, That’s All,” off Static Prevails!  The rhythm shifts and green darkness rock!!

--- “The Authority Song”: another deep cut works!!

--- “Dizzy” leaves me way too stable.  Redeemed by the end.

--- “Blister” and “Work”!!!  Outstanding pacing.  Call-and-response for the win.

--- I honestly don’t want this to end.

--- “23” drifts...yet slays by the end?!

--- “Bleed American”!!!!!  By far the most intense reaction I’ve seen a crowd give a Jimmy Eat World song.  The leaping, pounding, and vibration.

“Hell yeah, we’re going to play more.”

“A Praise Chorus” continued the utter RIOT.  The lyrics bring me back to the Kevyn Allgeier show, the Hark show, and the wedding.  “Sweetness” and “The Middle” bring it home.   

Grade: A+ [their first ever]