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.

Just some thoughts

Generally, I *try* to be a happy person, but more often than not, I am frustrated or upset by something that I probably shouldn't be, and end up pretty miserable because of stuff that is usually out of my control or that doesn't really matter much anyway, in the long run.

Friends let me down. Boys are pretty much non-existent in my life. I work all of the time yet somehow NEVER have any cash. I am generally unsatisfied with the way my life is currently progressing.

But then there is music.

Yesterday alone, I found out something that was already widely speculated, but one of the bands that I adored in college, The Starting Line, is heading out on a 10 year anniversary tour in support of their debut album Say It Like You Mean It. This show, for me, is happening on December 30 and I have already made plans to attend. I wont have work, so its a done deal for me.

Also, The Gaslight Anthem has a new album hitting the stores next Tuesday, and NPR started streaming it yesterday. I already wrote about this in more detail yesterday so I wont go there again.

Then there is the fact that sometimes I do "grown-up" things, like supporting a listener-supported radio station. And sometimes, when someone does something like this, they are rewarded. My reward just happened to be a pair of passes to the XPonential Festival  this coming weekend. I am going to have the opportunity to see some bands that I love, including Counting Crows, The Hold Steady, The Avett Brothers, Good Old War, and a new favorite Dawes. I have been listening to a playlist of all of those bands, plus some others from the festival, for a few days now, in between spins of Handwritten, and I am getting pretty excited.

Music is the thing that drives me. The bands that I love are my passion. When I am fruitless in my search to find a friend to spend some time with me, I know that my record collection will not let me down. Long rides with a good disk and the windows down are where dreams are born and nurtured. You know that cliche'd deserted island question? my answer is always my music collection and the ability to listen to it.

Today after work, when the car started, "Einstein on the Beach" by the Counting Crows was on the radio. I know I had a big cheesy grin on my face, because that song just does that to me, so when I drove passed the Medical Intern also walking to his car, he looked at me kind of funny and smiled back. He must have thought I was smiling at him, but really, I was just happy about the Eggman. That's all, dude. Just smiling about some silly song that the artist never wanted anyone to hear, but that I adore, and that makes me happier than any person ever could.

When I meet the man that can put that same shit-eating grin on my face, he had better be prepared to put a ring on my finger immediately.

First Listen: Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem

I have not anticipated a new album in a very long time. I cannot even remember the last time I found myself anxiously awaiting a new record, but this one, this one is different.

I have talked a little bit about how I first came to start listening to this band in the post I did last year about another Gaslight Anthem album, The '59 Sound. I really, really love that album, but I never really connected with American Slang in quite the same way. When I first caught wind of this new effort, I really didn't know how I would take to it, but I figured the least I could do was give it a shot.


I actually ignored the first single, "45" because I was still not sure if i was going to be interested in a new album. But then the band had a preview of another track of their album, "Here Comes My Man" and the similarity to a certain Tom Petty tune title piqued my interest. I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with this new single, and just kept listening to the four tracks they had up on their website. I could not get enough. I went back again and "Here Comes My Man" was no longer up for streaming, but I found myself drawn to "45" enough that I would keep going back to listen.

The moment I knew I had fallen in love happened a week or two later. I was driving and listening to one of my favorite radio stations, and I heard the opening riff from "45" and I found myself bouncing up and down in the driver's seat and clapping my hands like a seal. Yes. I show my excitement by bouncing and clapping. Yes. I am mostly just an over-grown toddler with a kick-ass taste in music, but that is mostly besides the point right now.

Since then, I have been all over any little tid-bits the label has let loose. There were 30-second song clips on some foreign iTunes website that I once again found myself listening to repetitively. Last week was the StumbleUpon clips and contest (which resulted in me tweeting a lot about the band and the album, but its cool) and finally, today, I got to stream the album courtesy of NPR. I have listened through two times now, and have paused it on the third listen in order to listen to a YouTube video of the song that I paused. I must say, overall, this album is not exactly what I was expecting, and considering all of the previewing I was able to do, that seems odd to me, but that doesn't mean that I am not pleased.

As far as I am concerned, the fact that only a few of the songs have totally hooked me is a good thing for the album. That means that there will be time for other songs to grow on me as the first few loves fade, thus ensuring a long life together with my stereo/iPhone/computer/car stereo/whatever else I use to listen to music.

Right now there are three songs that I just can't get enough of. Those songs are "45" "Here Comes My Man" and "Mulholland Drive." There are a few more that are on the brink, and a few that sit a little further back, but those three are the ones that will be calling me back to this disk again and again.

Handwritten comes out next Tuesday, July 24, and you can bet that Ill be out at the local record store picking up a copy or two.

Dawes

So I love music, there is no denying that. I recently renewed my membership with a local radio college radio station and in doing so landed myself a pair of passes to their upcoming music festival, the XPoNential Music Festival, and I am incredibly stoked for that weekend.

I am probably going to have to go by myself on Friday night, which I am okay with. I figured if I was driving all the way there to see The Hold Steady! that I should probably hang out and see who else is playing that day (you know, paying for parking and all that jazz.) I looked at the lineup and didn't really recognize any of the other bands, but decided I was going to search for some of Dawes music on YouTube since they are the headliner.

I am in love.

The idea of hanging out in a park listening to these guys play is making me giddy, even more so than the same idea a few nights later with the Counting Crows. I think I have stated before that I feel like I am beyond the "finding new bands" stage of my life, and that I am content just liking what I like, but there is something about discovering a band without anyone shoving them down my throat that I really like.

I don't know anything about these boys. I expect to learn more as time passes. I also expect that I will be listening to them an awful lot over the next few months, at least.

I will leave you with a video, so you can conveniently check them out yourselves, if you wish. I'd be interested to know what you think.

Also, as of this posting, I am looking for someone to join me to see Dawes and The Hold Steady! in a few weeks. Please let me know if you are interested. It will be a good night.