Have you ever waited 25 years for something?
I have loved New Kids On The Block since I was 8 years old. They were the "it" band back in 1988, and my second grade heart was OBSESSED with them, just like all of my friends. Our slumber parties became "hang out and watch NKOTB video" parties, and we all sported some sort of New Kids paraphernalia every single day. The big buttons, tee shirts, hair scrunchies, sleeping bags, dolls...you name it, at least one of us had it.
I very distinctly remember a conversation with my dad that took place in the kitchen one night after I had just gone off on some tangent about NKOTB. I have always been a music lover, and this was the first time I had ever really found a band that I loved that my parents hadn't introduced me to. I was blabbering on about my adoration for Joey and how much I loved the band and wanted to be Mrs. McIntyre (Uh, I STILL want to be Mrs. McIntyre. Joey, if you are reading this, I don't care if you are married...hit me up :) ) My dad told me, "I don't know why you are so excited about this band. They are just a flash in the pan. They will go away and you will move on."
Well, maybe they did go away for a while. I can't deny that. But I would say that spending a Saturday night in an arena with 20,000 other screaming (mostly) ladies 25 years later proves his statement to be a bit wrong.
Boys II Men opened the show. I was pissed about this because we all assumed it would be 98*, especially with it being a hometown show for Boys II Men (which my dad joked should now be called "Men II Old Men" as I was walking out my door to go to the concert) but because we were hanging out in the parking lot, figuring 98* would open, we missed a lot of BIIM's set. We weren't the only ones that were in that situation, though, because as we were running to our seats (and as I was bitching about them putting BIIM on first) we were dodging other ladies doing the same exact thing. We did get to hear our graduation song, though, which made me really happy because the next day marked our 15th anniversary of graduation.
Up next was 98*. I was never a big fan of them, but Nick looked good. Really, though, I just kept waiting for Brooke Davis to appear, and when she didn't (which of course she wouldn't, I don't live in Tree Hill) I got bored. I think I knew two songs by them, and one just opened up old wounds, so I was glad to see them get off the stage.
I've said several times already that the best thing about seeing a bunch of boy bands is that there is no need for a long stage reset between sets, so NKOTB came right out after a brief intermission. There was enough time for me to see the cotton candy man, complain that I wanted cotton candy, and then before I could give it another thought, the arena dimmed and the first boys I ever really loved were taking the stage.
I screamed like a little girl. I felt like I was 8 again. I loved every second of every song those boys sang. I loved watching them dirty dance. I loved that when they would get a little dirty the grown women who used to be little girls would scream with excitement. I loved that Donnie practically sucked the face off of that poor woman, and I definitely loved when she wiped off her face like a little kid who just got a slobbery kiss from her grandma.
At the end of their set, they brought Boys II Men back out and all eight of them performed Motownphilly, which was pretty damn cool if you ask me. The NKOTB guys all wore Boston Strong jerseys and the BIIM guys wore Phillies jerseys and they were supposed to be making the two cities become one, but really they just made it so loud in the arena that I was pretty sure the glass was going to break.
I had an amazing time at the show. I am so glad that I found last-minute tickets at a reasonable price and that I found someone to go with me. Oh, and after all that fun, VANILLA ICE did an afterparty at XFINITY, so we hopped over there for a bit. Tweenaged me thought that night was totally awesome, for sure! Adult me agrees.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
show review: The Postal Service at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY 6/14/13
Ben Gibbard, Jenny Lewis, and Jimmy Tamborello in an arena. I didn't really think that would ever happen. Me being about ten feet from the stage on which they were performing? Definitely didn't think that would happen. Yet, that was how I spent my Friday night.
First, a commentary on the Venue. I don't normally do arena shows, so I wasn't really sure what to expect as we headed up to NYC, but when we finally got to the venue (Barclays Center in Brooklyn, in case you missed that) I was astonished; not only did the venue look amazing inside and out, but the people that worked there were the nicest people I have ever encountered at any concert in my 26 years of attending concerts. They were genuinely happy to help us figure out where we needed to be, and even their demands were pleasant ones. "We need you guys to go home so we can clean our home!" It is definitely a venue I would revisit.
We (after asking 100 people what we were supposed to do) got our wristbands and made our way down to the floor, where everyone was sitting criss-cross-applesauce. After some deliberation on which side of the stage Jenny Lewis would be, we found a place to sit and plopped down. The kid in front of us quipped, "I feel like I'm in pre-school and we are about to have story time" and in my estimation, he hit the nail on the head. After sitting like children for a little while, we were allowed to stand and the opening act came out.
On the leg of the tour that we caught, the openers were a band called Mates of State. They are a male/female duo that has been on my radar for quite a while, but that I have never really gotten around to listening to, at least not actively. They weren't bad, but they also didn't leave a lasting enough impression on me for me to go out and seek out their catalog. After a few songs I found myself thinking, "alright, this is nice and all, but I am ready for Ben and Jenny!"
Eventually Ben, Jenny, Jimmy and some girl who's name I didn't catch and who didn't really matter much anyway finally made their way to the stage, and the arena erupted as if the Nets just won the NBA Championship. Most of us had been waiting 10 years to see this happen, and the excitement over it finally transpiring was too much to keep in.
The set consisted of everything from "Give Up," a few bonus tracks from the album, A Tattered Line of String, and a cover of a Beat Happening song, as well as a Dntel (Jimmy Tamborello's band) cover in the Encore. I liked that they didn't play the album front to back. At first I wasn't sure about that, but I realized that because we all knew basically what they were going to play (after all, they only have one album) it was nice to still have some element of surprise over what song was coming next.
The actual set-list was as follows:
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
We Will Become Silhouettes
Sleeping In
Turn Around
Nothing Better
Recycled Air
Be Still My Heart
Clark Gable
Our Secret (Beat Happening cover)
This Place Is A Prison
There's Never Enough Time
A Tattered Line Of String
Such Great Heights
Natural Anthem
Encore:
(This Is) The Dream Of Evan And Chang (Dntel cover)
Brand New Colony
The band was having entirely too much fun up on that stage. It was clear that they all were having a really great time playing together, and that made the show that much more fun. One of the most memorable parts of the show for me was when Ben gave advice to all the budding musicians in the crowd. He said, "if you want to have a successful career, put out an album and then don't do anything for 10 years." Of course that got a round of cheers and laughter from the audience.
I guess that I am just a sucker for nostalgia, but seeing a band that I had been in love with for nearly ten years was a pretty special experience. Maybe one day I will tell you about all the silliness that went along with that day.
First, a commentary on the Venue. I don't normally do arena shows, so I wasn't really sure what to expect as we headed up to NYC, but when we finally got to the venue (Barclays Center in Brooklyn, in case you missed that) I was astonished; not only did the venue look amazing inside and out, but the people that worked there were the nicest people I have ever encountered at any concert in my 26 years of attending concerts. They were genuinely happy to help us figure out where we needed to be, and even their demands were pleasant ones. "We need you guys to go home so we can clean our home!" It is definitely a venue I would revisit.
We (after asking 100 people what we were supposed to do) got our wristbands and made our way down to the floor, where everyone was sitting criss-cross-applesauce. After some deliberation on which side of the stage Jenny Lewis would be, we found a place to sit and plopped down. The kid in front of us quipped, "I feel like I'm in pre-school and we are about to have story time" and in my estimation, he hit the nail on the head. After sitting like children for a little while, we were allowed to stand and the opening act came out.
Eventually Ben, Jenny, Jimmy and some girl who's name I didn't catch and who didn't really matter much anyway finally made their way to the stage, and the arena erupted as if the Nets just won the NBA Championship. Most of us had been waiting 10 years to see this happen, and the excitement over it finally transpiring was too much to keep in.
The set consisted of everything from "Give Up," a few bonus tracks from the album, A Tattered Line of String, and a cover of a Beat Happening song, as well as a Dntel (Jimmy Tamborello's band) cover in the Encore. I liked that they didn't play the album front to back. At first I wasn't sure about that, but I realized that because we all knew basically what they were going to play (after all, they only have one album) it was nice to still have some element of surprise over what song was coming next.
The actual set-list was as follows:
The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
We Will Become SilhouettesSleeping In
Turn Around
Nothing Better
Recycled Air
Be Still My Heart
Clark Gable
Our Secret (Beat Happening cover)
This Place Is A Prison
There's Never Enough Time
A Tattered Line Of String
Such Great Heights
Natural Anthem
Encore:
(This Is) The Dream Of Evan And Chang (Dntel cover)
Brand New Colony
The band was having entirely too much fun up on that stage. It was clear that they all were having a really great time playing together, and that made the show that much more fun. One of the most memorable parts of the show for me was when Ben gave advice to all the budding musicians in the crowd. He said, "if you want to have a successful career, put out an album and then don't do anything for 10 years." Of course that got a round of cheers and laughter from the audience.
I guess that I am just a sucker for nostalgia, but seeing a band that I had been in love with for nearly ten years was a pretty special experience. Maybe one day I will tell you about all the silliness that went along with that day.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
"we had the greatest expectations"
Today when I came home from work, hands totally full of bags and carriers and all other assorted nonsense, there was a big old box on my front step. I knew immediately what was in the box, so I ran up the steps to the porch and juggled everything enough to get the mail and my crap into my house.
I hurried up to put everything else away, opened the letter that I received, and then fought with the box to get it open so that I could get to the contents.
I was not disappointed.
It is the weirdest thing to realize that a new band has taken over that number one spot on your "favorite bands" roster. For me, I am amazed at how quickly The Gaslight Anthem climbed the ladder. A few years ago I heard "High Lonesome" on a mix CD that a friend made me, and I took to it because it had a Counting Crows reference in it, but I kind of left them alone after that. But then I heard the song again on WXPN, and decided I needed the album.
But I didn't really fully get on board with Gaslight until last year, when one of the amazon pages (France, maybe?) previewed their newest album, Handwritten, and I just fell in love. The single that they had been playing ("Here Comes My Man") had already garnered my full attention, but the 30 second clips from the rest of the tracks had me longing, and I hadn't felt that way about music in a really long time. I knew I had found something special.
There are very few bands for which I would drive an hour and half north, just to simply sit on a bench outside a venue to listen. Gaslight is among royalty for me.
So, then, it stood to reason that I should absolutely drop an unnecessary amount of money on a (very beautifully packaged) boxed set of 45's put out by the band, just because I could.
I am 2/3 of the way through the nine records, and I am very pleased with my purchase. There are some acoustic B-sides (and we all know that I'm a "sucker for anything acoustic") and a few other little gems that make me very glad to own this box.
The only problem I have with the whole thing is that my record crates are full now, and I have no where to store them when they aren't on the turntable. :)
(If you are interested in seeing what is in the box, or even what it looks like, here is my vine video.)
I hurried up to put everything else away, opened the letter that I received, and then fought with the box to get it open so that I could get to the contents.
I was not disappointed.
It is the weirdest thing to realize that a new band has taken over that number one spot on your "favorite bands" roster. For me, I am amazed at how quickly The Gaslight Anthem climbed the ladder. A few years ago I heard "High Lonesome" on a mix CD that a friend made me, and I took to it because it had a Counting Crows reference in it, but I kind of left them alone after that. But then I heard the song again on WXPN, and decided I needed the album.
But I didn't really fully get on board with Gaslight until last year, when one of the amazon pages (France, maybe?) previewed their newest album, Handwritten, and I just fell in love. The single that they had been playing ("Here Comes My Man") had already garnered my full attention, but the 30 second clips from the rest of the tracks had me longing, and I hadn't felt that way about music in a really long time. I knew I had found something special.
There are very few bands for which I would drive an hour and half north, just to simply sit on a bench outside a venue to listen. Gaslight is among royalty for me.
So, then, it stood to reason that I should absolutely drop an unnecessary amount of money on a (very beautifully packaged) boxed set of 45's put out by the band, just because I could.
I am 2/3 of the way through the nine records, and I am very pleased with my purchase. There are some acoustic B-sides (and we all know that I'm a "sucker for anything acoustic") and a few other little gems that make me very glad to own this box.
The only problem I have with the whole thing is that my record crates are full now, and I have no where to store them when they aren't on the turntable. :)
(If you are interested in seeing what is in the box, or even what it looks like, here is my vine video.)
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Appel Farm Festival, Elmer, NJ June 1.
Appel was a lot like Bonnaroo, except that there was shade, and I could come home and shower and sit in the A/C after the day was over. These are two HUGE benefits over Bonnaroo. Also, the line-up was a lot more appealing at Appel.
My first band of the day was called Caravan of Thieves, and I think I liked them well enough when I was listening to them, but actually forgot I even saw them until I was just looking though LB's Instagram pictures.
Then came a band that I had never heard of, called Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution. SO. MUCH. FUN. The are a New Orleans Jazz band straight out of Brooklyn. A few songs into the set, LB and I gave each other the "THIS IS AWESOME" look. It was one of the most fun sets I have seen recently. The band was all about spreading the love, and after their set the led a parade over to the merch area for a meet and greet. seriously, the band came out marching-band style, went through the crowd, collecting people as they went, and paraded through the festival ground over to the merch area. We turned behind us to look at the parade and all that was left to be seen were empty blankets and lawn chairs...as LB put it, "they literally stole the show."
Next up was one of my new favorite bands, Delta Rae. Their debut CD, Carry the Fire, is chock full of killer harmonies and interesting percussion. They are a joy to see perform live. If you haven't heard this band yet, what are you waiting for? Go to YouTube and look them up. If you don't know where to start, you can start where I did, which was Bottom of The River.
I have been listening to him as far back in my life as I can remember. My parents are fans of Men at Work and their album Business as Usual has been a constant in my life. It is on my top ten of all time, and what makes me really happy is that my nieces are being brought up listening to it, too.
Two dudes decided that it was necessary to get involved in fisticuffs during his set. A few other members of the audience broke it up, but needless to say, the commotion interrupted Colin's song. Once all the dust had settled, Colin said, "That's what I like to see, a self-securing audience. Because we all know on this Saturday in Elmer and its surrounding areas, there is a LOT to fight about."
My first band of the day was called Caravan of Thieves, and I think I liked them well enough when I was listening to them, but actually forgot I even saw them until I was just looking though LB's Instagram pictures.
Then came a band that I had never heard of, called Brother Joscephus and the Love Revolution. SO. MUCH. FUN. The are a New Orleans Jazz band straight out of Brooklyn. A few songs into the set, LB and I gave each other the "THIS IS AWESOME" look. It was one of the most fun sets I have seen recently. The band was all about spreading the love, and after their set the led a parade over to the merch area for a meet and greet. seriously, the band came out marching-band style, went through the crowd, collecting people as they went, and paraded through the festival ground over to the merch area. We turned behind us to look at the parade and all that was left to be seen were empty blankets and lawn chairs...as LB put it, "they literally stole the show."
Next up was one of my new favorite bands, Delta Rae. Their debut CD, Carry the Fire, is chock full of killer harmonies and interesting percussion. They are a joy to see perform live. If you haven't heard this band yet, what are you waiting for? Go to YouTube and look them up. If you don't know where to start, you can start where I did, which was Bottom of The River.
Their set at Appel was exactly as awesome as I expected it to be. They do a pretty fantastic cover of Fleetwood Mac's "The Chain" in which I always think, upon hearing it, that that song was written for this band to sing. Their harmonies KILL it. (I am a sucker for kick-ass harmonies, if you didn't know.)
After their set, LB and I set out to do some of the festival'y things that one needs to do during the course of the day, such as pee in a Porta John that doesn't lock and find the "misting tent" (which was really just a single fan with a hose attached to it. cool. but it did the trick. We also got to watch a sheep being sheared.
We got some Crab Nachos (which were pretty tasty) and headed back to bake in the sun some more and watch Delta Spirit. I have seen them before, and heard them before, but I just never really got into them. We happened to walk up to catch the one song we knew, and then headed over to find a spot to see Colin Hay.
Guys. Colin Hay. Seriously. I just cant even.
I have been listening to him as far back in my life as I can remember. My parents are fans of Men at Work and their album Business as Usual has been a constant in my life. It is on my top ten of all time, and what makes me really happy is that my nieces are being brought up listening to it, too.
His set was a very good mix of Men at Work stuff as well as his solo stuff. He told a LOT of stories. I fell in love with him as a man and a storyteller today.
I want to express how much I loved every second of seeing him perform, but I cant find the words. There may have been tears in my eyes during "I Just Don't Think I'll Ever Get Over You." He talked about Zach Braff and talked about growing up in Scotland and moving to Australia. He told us about the time that Paul McCartney came over to his house for dinner and washed his dishes. He has an amazing sense of humor and of comedic timing.
Two dudes decided that it was necessary to get involved in fisticuffs during his set. A few other members of the audience broke it up, but needless to say, the commotion interrupted Colin's song. Once all the dust had settled, Colin said, "That's what I like to see, a self-securing audience. Because we all know on this Saturday in Elmer and its surrounding areas, there is a LOT to fight about."
I love that man.
Monday, May 27, 2013
show review: the gaslight anthem in Asbury Park, 5/26/13 (also known as take 2.)
"this song is about, well, about right here."
All day I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to go back up to Asbury Park and set things right. I felt like I left on bad terms last night, and that if I went back, things would be better. I went about my business during the day, but as I was leaving my brother and sister-in-law's house around 5:30 I just couldn't shake the feeling that I just needed to make this happen.
I texted my friend Manda and asked if she was up for an adventure. I didn't tell her right away what we were doing, just that she needed to dress warm and that we would be gone for a while. She wasn't doing much of anything, so the request to accompany me on my adventure was met with an enthusiastic yes. I changed out of the Gaslight shirt I had been wearing (because, you know, I couldn't be "that guy") and headed over to pick up Manda.
We got up to Asbury just as The Felice Brothers were finishing their set. We heard a little bit of one of their songs as we were driving through to find a parking spot, but I have never heard them and honestly didn't really care to start listening to them tonight. I just wanted to find a parking spot for my car so that I could find a parking spot for my booty.
Eventually all of that was settled, and we located a bench with a perfect view of...the ocean. But no worries...sitting backwards wasn't the worst thing we could have done. We were joined on the boardwalk by several other people who were interested in listening to the band, which was nice. What amazed me, though, was how quiet everyone was. Maybe it was just because the sound carried so well, I don't really know, but I couldn't hear anything but the band, which was amazing.
The sound was probably better on the boardwalk than it was inside the venue the night before. Brian's voice was clearer and the instruments blended together nicely. The only downfall was that we were really far away, so it looked like ants were playing on stage, but considering last night I couldn't see anything from inside, I figured it wasn't such a bad thing.
The setlist was slightly different from last night, which I figured would be the case, and I got what I was itching for, so I left much happier tonight.
High Lonesome
Handwritten
'59 Sound
The Diamond Church Street Choir
Biloxi Parish
We Came To Dance
Howl
Here Comes My Man
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
45
Film Noir
Blue Dahlia
Meet Me By The River's Edge
The Queen Of Lower Chelsea
Wooderson
Great Expectations
Keepsake
*************
She Loves You
Mulholland Drive
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Mae
The Backseat
I left with a smile on my face tonight. I am chalking that up to A) not being wet from the rain, and B) getting to hear Blue Jeans. Now that I have heard that song (and everyone everywhere screaming when
Brian sings, "I'm gonna buy you that house on Cookman") in Asbury Park, all is again right with the world.
One thing that was consistent over the course of the two shows was the awesome moon. We watched it rise over the ocean tonight and it was beautiful. Also, while looking at Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury all lined up, we saw a shooting star, and then another on the drive home. Even the sky was happy that Gaslight played Blue Jeans.
All day I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to go back up to Asbury Park and set things right. I felt like I left on bad terms last night, and that if I went back, things would be better. I went about my business during the day, but as I was leaving my brother and sister-in-law's house around 5:30 I just couldn't shake the feeling that I just needed to make this happen.
I texted my friend Manda and asked if she was up for an adventure. I didn't tell her right away what we were doing, just that she needed to dress warm and that we would be gone for a while. She wasn't doing much of anything, so the request to accompany me on my adventure was met with an enthusiastic yes. I changed out of the Gaslight shirt I had been wearing (because, you know, I couldn't be "that guy") and headed over to pick up Manda.
We got up to Asbury just as The Felice Brothers were finishing their set. We heard a little bit of one of their songs as we were driving through to find a parking spot, but I have never heard them and honestly didn't really care to start listening to them tonight. I just wanted to find a parking spot for my car so that I could find a parking spot for my booty.
Eventually all of that was settled, and we located a bench with a perfect view of...the ocean. But no worries...sitting backwards wasn't the worst thing we could have done. We were joined on the boardwalk by several other people who were interested in listening to the band, which was nice. What amazed me, though, was how quiet everyone was. Maybe it was just because the sound carried so well, I don't really know, but I couldn't hear anything but the band, which was amazing.
The sound was probably better on the boardwalk than it was inside the venue the night before. Brian's voice was clearer and the instruments blended together nicely. The only downfall was that we were really far away, so it looked like ants were playing on stage, but considering last night I couldn't see anything from inside, I figured it wasn't such a bad thing.
The setlist was slightly different from last night, which I figured would be the case, and I got what I was itching for, so I left much happier tonight.
High Lonesome
Handwritten
'59 Sound
The Diamond Church Street Choir
Biloxi Parish
We Came To Dance
Howl
Here Comes My Man
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
45
Film Noir
Blue Dahlia
Meet Me By The River's Edge
The Queen Of Lower Chelsea
Wooderson
Great Expectations
Keepsake
*************
She Loves You
Mulholland Drive
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Mae
The Backseat
I left with a smile on my face tonight. I am chalking that up to A) not being wet from the rain, and B) getting to hear Blue Jeans. Now that I have heard that song (and everyone everywhere screaming when
Brian sings, "I'm gonna buy you that house on Cookman") in Asbury Park, all is again right with the world.
One thing that was consistent over the course of the two shows was the awesome moon. We watched it rise over the ocean tonight and it was beautiful. Also, while looking at Venus, Jupiter, and Mercury all lined up, we saw a shooting star, and then another on the drive home. Even the sky was happy that Gaslight played Blue Jeans.
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