show review: The Starting Line Say It Like You Mean It Turns Ten Tour at the Electric Factory, Philly

A lot of my favorite albums are hitting their 10th birthdays. I am amazed at how relevant the lyrics in some of those songs still are, and how i feel that connection a lot less with more recent stuff. Say It Like You Mean It is definitely no exception.

These 10th anniversary shows all have pretty much the same idea. We get to hear the album "cover to cover" and some hits or fan favorites that the band might have had from other albums. Generally speaking its a pretty fantastic way to spend a night. Yes, i realize that i just paid 20 bucks to sit and listen to a band perform a CD that i have upstairs, but the excitement in the room, the screaming along and the circle pits, those things cant be had by jamming out while putting away laundry.

Alright, so i get to the venue and its POURING down rain like God is angry (i just spent ten minutes trying to figure out which Brand New song that statement reminded me of. If you are interested, the song is Daisy and the lyric is "Or if the sky opened up and started pouring rain/like He knew it was time to start things over again") and I'm waiting to hear from Christa on her location. She tells me that shes still a bit away and i decide that i am not going to sit in my car so i get up and make a run for it.

I should have stayed in my car. the opening act was not my bag at all. they are called Such Gold, from Rochester, NY and i really kind of wish they would have stayed up there. It was brutal, and not in the hardcore scene good way. they had a Thursday thing about them, which was tolerable ten years ago but is kind of just annoying and old to me now. Maybe it was a bad mix. maybe it was a bad night. i usually say i don't judge a band by their live show because there is so much that can go wrong, but i really felt like i could live the rest of my days without hearing another note from these dudes and id be just fine.

Anyway, The Wonder Years were up next, and were definitely more my speed. They are local boys, and while i know they have been around the scene for a while, i have never actively listened to them. i think the reason was that i was just feeling inundated with pop-punk bands around that time and couldn't deal with another one. Their set was high energy and bouncy and fun, so i was pleased. The were a really good opening act for TSL.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, The Starting Line came out. Because this was an anniversary show for SILYMI, the set list is pretty evident; they played the album straight through. there was a lot of banter between Kenny and the crowd, and it was good. The band was obviously having fun playing this show, and they both displayed a lot of affection towards the crowd as well as felt the affection that the crowd had for them. They were loose and silly, but hit all the right notes, and it made for a pretty fantastic show.

plus, CIRCLE PIT. MAJOR CIRCLE PIT.

these shows make me feel like I'm 22 again. except that I'm not, and i end up feeling like I'm 42 the day after.

after the set, the guys walked off, and after a chant mixed with "you still got it" and "one more song" they came out and played a few more for us.


Ready
Making Love to the Camera
Surprise, Surprise
Are You Alone?
Greg's Last Day

I tried to get a video of the last two songs, but while the visuals are there, the audio leaves a lot to be desired. if you are curious, ill upload them, but for now they are just taking up residence on my hard drive.

I did, however, get a few shots that aren't too terrible.

 Kenny reading a pretty piss poor review of the album from its release.

and just because i feel like throwing it out there, here is this one, from Roo a few summers ago. Person L played that summer.

I miss my long hair and bangs.

Anyway, this was definitely another good night in a long history of good nights at shows. id rank this show three stars on an alphabetical scale.

Show Review: The Gaslight Anthem at the Electric Factory 11/27

There have been a few times in my life that i have left a show thinking, "that was the BEST show i have ever been to in my entire life." A) This is often an exaggeration. B) I have been to more shows than i can remember, so its likely not even true. However, i am damn sure that when i said it after the show this past Tuesday night at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia, it was the truth.

I spent the better part of Tuesday hemming and hawing about if i was even going to venture out for the night. i had bought the tickets months ago, so the money didn't seem so important. it was rainy and cold and there was talk of the dreaded "S" word (snow, i hate that stuff). i just didn't see how it was going to be any fun. but lo and behold, when i walked out of work at six pm, the rain had never turned to snow, and in fact, had disappeared completely, leaving just a cloudy night sky. I was going to suck it up and go.

The opener was a singer/songwriter called Matthew Ryan. He was good enough, but it felt like maybe that wasn't the right setting for his music. I tend to find myself feeling bad for a guy and a guitar when the headliner is a full piece band~it just never really goes over well with the audience. I will give his music some attention, though, because Brian Fallon said i should.

Next up were the Menzingers, a punk-rock outfit out of Scranton, Pa (home of Dwight K. Schrute and Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch.) I really didn't know anything about this band going in, but they opened with this song:

I immediately fell in love. There is something about punk rock that just gets me. I cant explain it, really. I was having a pretty crappy afternoon and was still pretty steamed about what happened when i got to this show, but hearing this band made all of that bull melt away. Damn the man, save the empire.

I don't even want to talk about the Gaslight set, because i know that whatever words i use are not going to do justice to the perfection that happened in that venue. I was nervous that this show was going to be a letdown because i had hyped it up so much in my own head for so long. By the time the band took the stage, i was sure i had just wasted 40 dollars and a quality evening because this was going to be awful.

but it wasn't.

the house lights went down and the audience got loud. the beginning chords of "Mae" rang out and the band took the stage. By the time Brian started singing, the crowd had taken the level in the room to magnitudes i hadn't experienced in a very long time. Mae is my current favorite track on the new album, "Handwritten," and i found myself questioning what the rest of the set was going to hold. This is a bit vulgar, but I was definitely wondering if the band had "blown their load" so to speak by opening with the best track.

they didn't.

The set was amazing. They hit every song i could have wanted to hear, and played for what seemed like forever. they just kept going, like music machines. it was insane. the crowd was insane. i haven't seen mosh pits like that in years. i haven't felt energy like that from the stage in years, either. It really was one of those nights where all of the stars aligned to create the perfect situation.

after a 19-song set, including probably the 15 greatest musical minutes of my life (even cowgirls get the blues/here comes my man/Miles Davis and the cool), the band headed off stage to do whatever it is they do before the encore, and the crowd chattered and clapped and chanted things like "gas-light an-them" and "USA! USA!" I tweeted that the band was really making us work for the encore, because it took them a bit of time to come back out, but when they did, it was absolutely worth the "work" we had to put in.

the encore was great, too. Brian and the opener guy, Matt, came out and played one of Matt's songs that Brian loved (it was actually the reason the two acts were touring together). Every time a song would start, i would think "okay, this has to be the last one, and they didn't play 'blue deliah' so i guess they aren't playing it." but it wasn't the last song, and they DID play "blue Dehlia" and i danced around like a fool in the rain, and would bet money that that song is the reason I'm in pain two days later.

I left that show on cloud nine. I have been there for a few days. If i wasn't already head over heels in love with Gaslight, i absolutely am now. it was magical. it was perfect. it was exactly the way id imagined my first time to be.

Setlist:
Mae
'59 Sound
Old White Lincoln
Diamond Church St. Choir
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
Here Comes My Man
Miles Davis and The Cool
"45"
Handwritten
Senor and the Queen
Film Noir
Howl
Keepsake
I'da Called You Woody, Joe
Angry Johnny and The Radio
Patient Ferris Wheel
Too Much Blood
Here's Looking at You, Kid
Backseats

ENCORE:
I Cant Steal You (M. Ryan tune)
She Loves You
Mulholland Drive
Drive
Blue Deliah
Astro Zombies
Great Expectations

i need to get this off of my chest.

I have a pretty wide open taste in music, and in such I have spent some time listening to "Contemporary Christian Music." I don't really spend much time with the genre these days, but there was a period of time in my life where it was all i listened to, and i dj'ed a radio show on my college radio station that played solely CCM.

I liked the idea of being able to worship a little differently than the standard hymns and praise and worship songs allowed. i liked that the music that i was listening to was positive and uplifting, because i realized that a lot of what what out there in popular culture was fairly negative. i spent a lot of time with bands like the newsboys, five iron frenzy, jars of clay and relient k. i was happy and having a good time, but there was one thing that used to bug me.

quite often its been said that the basic formula for a hit CCM song is to write a regular love song, and then replace "baby" with "Jesus." this used to upset me a little bit because i liked to think that these bands that i was more or less putting my faith in were making music for worship, and not for money. now I'm not naive enough to think that they were doing all of the recording and touring and everything else for free, but i really, really wanted to believe that the dollar wasn't the bottom line.

my musical taste has evolved over the last ten years, and i don't really find myself listening to CCM much at all anymore, but there are still a few bands that i pay attention to. remember how i got excited last year when FIF announced that they were back? i still love them, despite my statements otherwise (i talked a lot of smack on them after the break up. i was heart-broken.) i also still gave a decent amount of attention to jars of clay. i always connected with their music, even when i had fallen away from everyone else, and always believed that they were actually in it for the love of Jesus, and not for the cash.

but today i was watching TV, and i saw the new commercial for Christianmingle.com. guess what song was playing in the background? Jars of Clay's "Love Song for a Savior."

everything i ever thought was wrong, and I'm pissed.

XPoNential Festival Day 3: Where I question my faith in my favorite band.

When I looked at the lineup for day three, I pretty much just figured it was going to be a wash of a day. The only artist I recognized was Counting Crows, and they were the last act of the night. Had I not been so anxious to get the upgraded seats (which meant needing to show up early in the day) I probably would have just waited and gone right before they even took the stage, but things being as they were, I was up and out the door early for the final day of the festival.

I actually woke up super early this morning, and I jumped up out of bed like a toy on a spring. I had a lot of time to kill before I left, but that is neither here nor there, really. Eventually I got around to showering and getting dressed for the day. I was considering jeans again, or jean shorts, but am glad that i went with a skirt, as the weather was MUCH hotter than forcasted.

After procuring my tickets for the Counting Crows (we already had access to the show, these tickets were just upgraded seats, out of the lawn and into a chair) I went inside, found a perfect spot for my blanket, and set up camp. The band that was playing was called Work Drugs and as I was walking in i recognized a few of their tunes from listening to XPN, so I hung out and watched the rest of their set. I really liked what these guys were throwing out there. Synth-y pop stuff, but really mellow, and it was absolutely perfect for sitting in the grass and baking in the hot summer sun.

Up next on the River stage was Carlos Diego, who I had never heard, but wasnt disappointed with, either. The band had a little bit of a salsa-y vibe to them, which I could absolutely dig. I watched a few of his numbers, and then decided that the sun was too much for me, and started walking around looking at the vendors and trying to stay beneath the shade of the trees.

There was a lot going on after his set, and most of that doesnt have to do directly with music, so ill skip it. I do want to share, though, that there is a really rather funny story about a record that fits into this time frame, and id be willing to tell you about it if you ask nicely. It involves the word "bastard" and me running. Thats all you are getting.

Back to the music.

The next act was some Cabinet of Wonder or some nonsense. It was just a bunch of different artists doing different stuff. Mostly I hated it. The one part we were on the blanket for was this dude doing a dramatic reading over some weird drum and bass. It just really wasnt my thing. at all. Mostly I just found myself wishing it was over.

Rhett Miller closed out the River stage this year, and I was a dummy for a while and forgot who he was, but remembered early in the day, and then found myself super excited to see him. I really like the Old '97s and knew this was as close to seeing them as I was getting, so I settled in on the blanket and danced around a lot for about an hour. This act was billed as "Rhett Miller and the Serial Lady Killers" so I didnt expect to hear any Old '97s stuff, but no sooner did we sit down then did the band start to play Singular Girl, and that smile I have been wearing all weekend found its way right back to my face. In fact, they played a LOT of Old '97s stuff, including one of the sweetest songs I know, Question.

So here I am, smiling like a wacko, and on my way to see one of the most important bands in my life, the Counting Crows. Whatever else had gone on that weekend was going to pale in comparison to what was about to happen when I stepped foot into the Susquehanna Bank Center (or the E-Center if you go by the sign in Wiggins Park. tee hee hee.) I should have been in a state of bliss for the rest of the night, but that was not the case.

I just was not feeling the Counting Crows' set tonight. They opened with Sullivan Street, which is a decent enough track, but everything was played a bit slowed down tonight, and for songs that are slow to begin with, well, it made for a hard time trying to stay awake during some parts of the set. As much as this band means to me, I havent spent much time with any of the newer material, which is what they played for a majority of their set. Honestly, at one point I caught myself nodding off. I tried blaming it on the fact that I had been out in the sun for the last three days but I cant deny the fact that I just wasn't into the set.

Another issue that I had was that the crowd in the seats where we were were just not into the show. At all. Barely anyone was up out of their seats, no one was singing along, and it was just kind of a boring atmosphere in our section. A large part of the reason I love live shows is the bond that you form with the others who are there and who are just as excited to be there as you are. Audience participation adds to or detracts a lot from any live show and its sad to say that in this instance, it was definitely a deterrent.

I am still happy that I got to see the Counting Crows, though. I mean, I did the math and I have been in love with that band for 18 years. That is more than half of my life. There is something about them that will stick with me forever. I can't turn my back on them for one less than desirable concert. I also think that had I not seen bands like Good Old War and the Hold Steady! earlier that weekend, I wouldn't be feeling quite as let down as I do.

Anyway, the setlist:
Sullivan Street
Untitled (Love Song)
Another Horsedreamer's Blues
Hard Candy
Hospital
Goodnight Elizabeth/Pale Blue Eyes (Sheryl Crow cover)
Start Again (Teenage Fanclub cover)
Meet On The Ledge
Four White Stallions
Mrs. Potter's Lullaby
Ghost Train
Long December
Return Of The Grevious Angel
Come Around 
Rain King/Washington Square

Encore (all the guys from all of the bands on the Outlaw Roadshow tour came out for these three songs)
Hangin' Around
You Ain't Going Nowhere
This Land Is Your Land

I forgot about Mrs. Potter's Lullaby. That made me really happy. I just really could have stood for one or two of my favorites, or Mr. Jones for Pete's sake!

Even if I was a little bit disappointed in the show, I still love and always will love this crazy man. Maybe I need to pay more attention to the newer material for the next time I see them, because four is an awkward number, so I will see them again.

XPoNential Festival day 2: Good Old War, The Avett Brothers, Wilco and more

Day two was the first of two long days at the Camden Waterfront. We arrived at Wiggins park around noon and, after making our way through the entrance and bag check and getting our wrist bands for the day, found a nice spot on the lawn in front of the River Stage to set our blanket and hang out for the day. There was so much to do, though, that we didn't actually spend much time at the blanket at all.

First up was Good Old War. I avoided listening to this band at first because I don't like being told what to do, but finally, after sooo many tweets about them from the artists I like and admire, I figured I would give them a chance, and I am glad that I did. I really like this band a lot, and I feel like you are doing yourself a grave disservice if you are not giving them a chance. Their set was too short, as is generally the case when one is watching a band that she adores, but the good news is that they are playing Philly again next month. They are a Philly-based band, so I suspect I should be able to see them again.

Immediately after their set, we rushed over to the "members only" tent to A)get refreshing beverages, and B)so that I could stand in line awkwardly and get a chance to meet the guys in the band. Meet and Greets are generally the most awkward things in the universe, and I know that I feel this way, yet every time the opportunity arises I find myself taking it. I was able to buy "Come Back As Rain" on vinyl while waiting in line so I got my record signed, which made me happy. (On a side note, when I came home last night I tried to put my record in the crate, and it wouldn't fit. Looks like its time for a third.)

After this I met back up with Mandy and we wandered around a little bit to see what kind of stuff there was in the tents that were all over the grounds, and while we were doing this, we were listening to Mike Doughty of Soul Coughing. I liked his set enough, but every song kind of sounded the same to me, and all of them sounded like "circles" which is the only Soul Coughing song I know. Even still, it wasn't a bad show.

We had a lot of time to kill between Mike Doughty and the next act that we had any interest in seeing, which wasn't until the Susquehanna Bank Center opened up and the main event for the night got underway, so we spent more time wandering around. We used this opportunity to go drop off some of our recently-acquired crap at the car (Thank God for re-entry!) and we also decided to take full advantage of what our wrist-bands granted us access, and spent some time in the Camden Children's Garden. There wasn't a ton of stuff to look at in there, but it was nice to get out of the sun and away from the crowds for a bit. Also, the lure of a toilet that flushed and running water was enough to make me want to check it out.

After this, we decided to hit up the food vendors (yay crab cakes!) and then head back inside the show. We walked around a bit more, and ended up sitting in the "members only" area again, taking full advantage of both the shade and the free drinks. We also spent some time parusing the craft vendors. I really wanted a Henna tattoo but she wanted 20 dollars for it and I didn't have that much cash left. I am considering getting it today. We will see. I figure it will be good practice for the tattoo I really want.

Eventually it was time to go gather our things and wait in line to get into the Susquehanna Bank Center so that we could see Dr. Dog, The Avett Brothers and Wilco. This was new this year, the incorporation of SBC, but it was an experiment gone so right, if my judgement means anything. We lined up by the Marina Stage, got to enter through the back gates, and when we got into the arena (before the regular ticket holders) there was an entire section, front and center, of the lawn sectioned off just for XPN members.

Dr. Dog came on first. I wasn't impressed. I thought I would like them more considering how much love everyone gives them, but really they just weren't my thing. I may have actually fallen asleep.

The Avetts took the stage after that and I was basically as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. Their set was perfect. They sounded perfect. Even from the lawn they looked perfect. It was a good day. I was up dancing for a while, but by the time they got to January Wedding I just couldn't handle the standing anymore, so I laid down on the blanket and danced. I was up and down from that point on, but that was fine. Toward the end of the set, I leaned in to tell Mandy that I was going to be very disappointed if they didn't play Kick Drum Heart, because I really love that song. (Its my ringtone.) It was getting late and they were playing I And Love And You and introducing the band, and thanking everyone for coming to see them, and I could feel the disappointment creeping in. That song is their big one, and they were thanking everyone, I thought for sure that I wasn't going to hear my song...and then the drum beat changed.

I don't think I have ever gotten up off the ground so quickly in my life! I danced around and screamed along to Kick Drum Heart and was happier at that point than a pig in poop.

Dave Hause (from The Loved Ones) was playing on the side stage, so we ran over to check him out. I wouldn't have gone except that I knew that Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem (if you have been reading at all lately you know who they are) was playing guitar for him, and I wanted to see him if nothing else. I was thoroughly impressed. I find that a lot of times when attending something like this, you find your new favorite band, or at least your new "it" band. I figured Dawes was going to be my discovery of the weekend, but that's not the case, as I really liked the energy and sound of Hause's set. I will definitely be giving this guy some more attention.

Finally, we went back to the blanket on the grass to listen to Wilco. I had my ideas about what this band was going to sound like, but that wasn't what i heard at all. The first two songs were very Jack White-y in both sound and composure. I even remarked that the lead singer had a very Jack White look about him. I guess I can't fault the guy or the band-Jack White is pretty much a musical genius, so why wouldn't they want to be him? It just wasn't what I thought I knew about Wilco. The third song was a lot slower and a lot less experimental, which made it a lot more like what I was expecting from the band.

We only stayed for about five songs because by that point we were starving, tired, and ready to go. I didn't hate Wilco, though, and will probably listen to them a bit now, just to see if there is a groove I can get into.

After a shower and some rest, I am heading back over for day 3, the final day. I am so excited to see Counting Crows tonight, and I am definitely interested to see what else I discover this weekend.

The Hold Steady!~Stuck Between Stations/Sequestered In Memphis

XPoNential Festival Day 1~Dawes and The Hold Steady!

Due to unforeseen circumstances, my friend could not attend tonight's show with me, and after I tried every single person I know with no luck, I decided I wasn't missing out on The Hold Steady, so I grabbed a water bottle, a hoodie, and my camera and headed off to Camden. (Yes, I needed a hoodie tonight. And I wore Jeans. There was a heat index of 120 two days ago, but when I checked the weather at the festival, it was a mere 68 degrees and raining.)

After driving around Camden for a good 45 minutes trying to figure out where in the world I was supposed to park (There was also a Riversharks game tonight, and WARPED tour, so parking was scarce) I finally, with the help of a few officers' directions, figured out where I needed to go and got myself a spot. (Here's hoping I can get back to that lot for the next two days.) After asking one more officer where in the heck i needed to walk from the lot, I went uphill a bit and found myself at the gate to the festival.

I picked up my tickets and headed inside. I briefly thought about wandering around a bit to get a feel for the place, but large crowds and unfamiliar areas intimidate me, so I opted to follow the main walkway down to the River Stage and set up camp in front of the stage for the evening's festivities.

While waiting for Dawes to come onstage, I found myself talking to a very nice lady who lives nearby. She was with her husband and another couple and they were a bit older than I am, but still were all about the music. Talking to Barb and her friends made me realize that growing up doesn't have to mean sacrificing my love of live music. I didn't really think I had too, but I find myself saying, "I'm too old for rock and roll" quite often these days. Standing still for a few hours in one spot with an arthritis-riddled body can be less than comfortable, to say the least, but I love the environment and energy of a show enough to press on through the aches and pains of being 32.

I did find myself remarking, however, to Barb and company that, "the way I know that I am an adult is that I was walking past all of the kids going to and from Warped tour (and possibly making faces at some of their questionable clothing choices) to head to the XPoNential Festival." I used to be a Warped tour kid. I used to make questionable clothing choices. I guess sometimes I still do, but I wouldn't be caught dead in some of the "outfits" I saw on those kids.

Dawes took the stage promptly at 8:35 and played a good set. Admittedly, I haven't been a fan for very long at all, so I didn't know all of the songs that they played, but I was surprised at how much I did know. I guess listening to them non-stop for the last week has paid off. It was pretty awesome to see how packed the River stage area was for their show. There were more people there for Dawes than there were for The Hold Steady, by my best guess, at least.

Dawes set list looked like this (thanks to xpn.org, where you can also go to hear the set in its entirety, if you are interested):
My Girl To Me
The Way You Laugh
If I Wanted Someone
Fire Away
Western Skyline
When My Time Comes
Coming Back To A Man
From A Window Seat
Peace In The Valley
Little Bit Of Everything
Time Spent In Los Angeles

As I said, it was a good set.

When they were done, I had some time to kill so I went to try and find a restroom, but the lines for the portapotties were ridiculously long, and I didn't really want to miss a second of The Hold Steady's set, so I decided to wait it out, which turned out in the long run to be a less-than-wise choice, but I am not disclosing why publicly. If you really want to know what happened when I had to make a pit stop on the way home, feel free to ask. I will tell you, Id just rather not put it on blast. Its kind of...well, ask and you will find out.

I wish I could give you the set list for The Hold Steady, but unfortunately I did not keep track tonight. Honestly, I was so stinking excited to be there and to see the band its amazing I even remembered to take pictures. Craig Finn is such an entertaining entertainer; while watching him perform it becomes hard to think of anything else.

I did manage to take a video, though. I am working on uploading that and will edit it into this entry once its fully up on YouTube.

If you are ever offered the chance to see The Hold Steady, you would be a moron to say no. They are such a good live band, and their sound is so straight up rock and roll that nearly anyone can find themselves bobbing along and singing and dancing. Why this band isn't huge is beyond me, but I will tell you this much, they are huge among those that are huge. People that know music love The Hold Steady.

It is 3:30 in the morning and I have another full day of Festival festivities to attend to, so I really should get some sleep. Saturday's sure-to-please line-up consists of Good Old War, The Avett Brothers and Wilco. I am pretty excited.