| 15th December 2007 12:59 PM |
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| Dan |
some redundancy but I finally wrote it all out for my own posterity and your enjoyment and/or flames:
More Gig Recaps For The Last Month (SPICE GIRLS! DICKIES!)
Nov 16 Dickies/The Crowd at the Knitting Factory
It was the Dickies 30th Anniversary show. I was front and center against the stage which I rarely do nowadays and with good reason. (Was also front and center for their 20th Anniversary at the Whisky, one of my all time favorites). Got stagedived on a few times and even got hit in the eye once. They did "Rockin' In The Free World" which was a B-side in the early '90's and rarely played live. The song started to break down in the middle and Leonard yelled over to Stan "what's the next verse?" Stan was oblivious and kept playing so I yelled up "thousand points of light for the homeless man" and they both yelled at me "THAT's IT" and the song picked up again.
I was sore for a few days after. Not as good as 1997 but still one of the better shows I have seen them do, they even came back out for an extra encore.
The Crowd opened (in '97 too) Good to see them again. I recognized "Letter Bomb," "The Kids Are Alright," and "Right Time." Had my eye on grabbing the stage setlist for my collection but the singer made a paper airplane out of it and launched it into the crowd.
The Dickies setlist to the best of my memory (order might be slightly off):
01. Rosemary
02. I'm Okay You're Okay
03. See My Way
04. Nights In White Satin
05. Got It At The Store
06. Give It Back
07. Paranoid
08. Waterslide
09, Manny Moe And Jack
10. Oh Boy
11. My Pop The Cop
12. You Drive Me Ape
13. Poodle Party
14. Shadow Man
15. Bowling With Bedrock Barney
16. If Stuart Could Talk
17. Gigantor
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18. Rockin' In The Free World
19. Banana Splits
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20. Eve Of Destruction
Nov 20 Diana Ross at the Gibson Amphitheatre
Not really my thing but I went on a free ticket. Her voice got better and fuller as the night went on but the most impressive part of the show was when she announced before the last song that her father died that morning. That was one hell of a "show must go on" effort on her part.
Nov 21 Back Pocket Memory at Starbucks
The only act I have seen bring some of their own crowd to the Wedensday night shows at Starbucks.
The songs I heard sounded like paint by numbers alternative music but in an acoustic setting they were able to really bring the songs to life. They should record some in that format too as they really worked.
Nov 26 Ky Mani Marley at Amoeba Music
One of the Marley kids. Tight band, good show, hot back up singers. Some originals and some Marley covers. Then it was off to:
Nov 26 The Preacher's Son/Vic DuMonte's Persona Non Grata at The Scene
Saw them twice while checking out various Gabe Hart projects and they had started to grow on me enough that after the 2nd show I bought the CD. This was the first time I saw them on purpose and like the other shows this one was unique, this time with mandolin in addition to acoustic guitar. Will definitely make an effort to see just them in the future. Check out Black Lung'd And Black Tooth'd on their page, they are a top friend now.
Nov 27 Mike Watt and some other band from San Pedro at Westside Eclectic in Santa Monica
Not really even on the radar as I had no intention of another late night this week but I got a bulletin about 5:30 that said he would be going onstage at 8:45. Made a spur of the moment decision to see if I could make it to the bus stop at the corner in 8 minutes.
It took awhile but I finally found the place hidden in an alley off the Third Street Promenade.
The first band was almost tolerable until the singer started climbing up into the rafters and I could see the planks start to bend under his weight. I got dizzy watching that. Never found out who they were and didn't really care enough to find out.
Mike Watt & The Missing Men put on a great show but not quite as intense as the Liquid Kitty show where they played right in my face without even a proper stage. He did "Funhouse," which is technically better when he plays it with Iggy & The Stooges but just feels so much better when his amp is a few feet away from me totally blasting my brain.
Nov 28 Geoffro at Starbuck's
Nov 30 Chairs Of Perception/Junior Juggernaut at the Scene
Though John said they were under rehearsed it sounded good enough to me. The Scene is one of the best sounding small rooms I have ever been in. They are changing their name back to the Urinals.
Dec 3 Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings at Amoeba
Dec 5 Spice Girls at Staples Center
The aformentioned free tickets from heaven. When the reunion was announced I just assumed this would be the kind of show where I walk into a half empty Universal Amphitheatre with a comp ticket. They ended up selling out two nights at Staples. The whole 2 months leading up into the show I was wondering who was buying the tickets. As it turns out, pretty much the same people who saw them in 1998, only all grown up now. Instead of kids with their parents, the crowd was about 90% women between 18 and 25. No line (or even other people) during my one time inside the men's restroom before the show. Never saw so many hot chicks in one place in my entire life.
As far as the show itself? Total sensory overload of the kind rarely equaled at any other arena showt. Not even sure how to describe it. They had a massive stage with a catwalk and center stage, moving video screens and the band elevated and caged in on the scaffolding. Probably the most elaborate stage production I have ever seen. The girls themselves were in great shape, except for Victoria who seemed to have a lot more personality in 1998. Tthis was the first time I saw all 5 of them together and this show was superior to the other tour in just about every way.
The only two complaints were poor lead vocal mix toward the beginning and too many dancers which sometimes had a diluting effect. Also "Headlines" is a weak song for a comeback single and doing it so early in the set and following it with a few other slow songs stifled the energy a bit.Other than that, the show was damn near perfect! I could have done without some of the solo spots but Melanie C's "I Turn To You" was the best song of the night followed by "Holler" off their ill-fated final album, with the 4 girls (Geri offstage) walking the dancers down the catwalk on leashes.
Setlist:
Spice Up Your Life
Stop
Say You'll Be There
Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)
Lady Is A Vamp
Too Much
2 Become 1
Who Do You Think You Are
(Victoria strutting the catwalk to Rupaul's "Supermodel")
Are You Gonna Go My Way? (Melanie B solo, Lenny Kravitz cover, chains up dude from the crowd to a ladder and gives him a really bad lap dance, microphone has a whip on the end)
Maybe (Emma solo)
Viva Forever
Holler (minus Geri)
It's Raining Men (Geri solo)
I Turn To You (Melanie C solo - she ran all over the place)
Let Love Lead The Way (minus Geri, also minus Victoria the 2nd night)
Mama
Celebration Medley (with That's The Way I Like It and We Are Family)
Goodbye
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If U Can't Dance (partial - just repeating the chorus)
Wannabe
Spice Up Your Life (remix - they dance their way to the same platforms they arrived on and disappeared into the stage, video screens said "Spice Girls MISSION ACCOMPLISHED)
Thanks to You Tube I have been riding the buzz all week
Best footage is
http://www.youtube.com/user/spicegirlsexperience
Thanks to Jordan for the tickets! He posted them on a message board first come first serve and I almost didn't believe it until they turned up in the mail the next day. He wanted to give them to a real fan rather try to sell them or give them to friends who didn't like the Spice Girls.
Dec 6 Melanie C at the Mint
This was announced the week before. Quite the shocker as her last several solo albums were never released in the U.S. and I just assumed she would never do another solo show here again. Bought a ticket the second they went onsale, and a bargain at $20. It sold out immedietly. According to the club web site, the capacity is only 120 people which would make for a very special evening.
From a purely musical standpoint, this was the show to see. Like the night before, the much smaller crowd was completely wired with anticipation. She took the stage at 7:45 with only two acoustic guitarists from the Spice Girls touring band and was joined later for a few songs by the keyboard player.
Melanie was clearly enjoying herself away, and was loose and playful and put on a strong performance without being dwarfed by the Spice Girls spectacle. The sound was crystal clear, and she proved that in spite of the all the Spice Girls hype and overcommercialization, she is still truly one of the best singers alive.
Just about everyone in the crowd knew all the songs even though they are generally unavailable on this side of the pond. There were a few of the "OHMYGAWDMELANIEPLEASELOOKATME" celebrity obsessed nitwits in attendence.
setlist:
Beautiful Intentions
What If I Stay
Carolyna
Better Alone
Here And Now
Northern Star
Next Best Superstar
First Day Of My Life
When You're Gone
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This Time
I Turn To You
"Northern Star" was absolutely divine.
When it was over, Victoria and Mel B. took the stage to say it was a great show. Then Victoria exited and walked right in front of me. She looks almost reptilian up close.
Definitely one of my top 5 of the year seeing her in such an intimate setting that can showcase her true talent.
I couldn't hang around with everybody else and try to get any more sightings. I grabbed a stage setlist on the keyboard player's monitor and ran out the door. Jonny Polonsky was scheduled to play the Hotel Cafe for a homeless benefit that was part of Nightwatchman Nights (with Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine) and I wanted to try to catch him too.
I got there just in time but there was a line around the building and they weren't letting anybody in. Apparently Flea and Perry Farrell were also announced but I didn't care, I just wanted to see Jonny. Anthony Kiedis walked by and inside. He didn't have to wait but hopefully he at least kicked something down for the homeless. After about 15 minutes I heard Jonny through the window and bailed. Really wanted to see him again but I guess it was best to take some time to reflect upon an amazing show. At least now I know if I ever want to catch Nightwatchman Nights I need to get there early.
Dec 7 Spice Girls at Staples Center
I just had to see this again! Sometime during the week all my playing around on Ebay got me a $15 ticket. Was thinking of trying to resell it but after Wedesnday I abandoned that idea but was going to still try to flip it into a better seat.
That morning my cousin woke me up banging on my door at some ungodly early hour. He was running errands in my area a hundred miles from home, on public transportation and wanted a place to hang out and chill a bit. Though he didn't have much concert cash I invited him to come along and hang out anyway and see what happens, I told him I could spare $20-30 for a ticket but I get to keep the best one! Also asked him if he was shameless enough to hold a sign that said:
Help! Please!
Looking For A Miracle Ticket
He was down with it and I even drew a few peace signs across the bottom for effect. "Miracle Ticket" is deadhead lingo for freeloading parking lot rats who want a ticket to a sold out show but don't want to pay for it. Making the sign was more of a joke but after not finding anything circling the building a few times we decided to whip it out at the corner where most of the people were coming in. I left him for a few minutes to look around a bit more and went back to find him holding an excellent lower level ticket next to the stage.
He went inside while I pushed it up til about 8:00 trying to upgrade but my offers were laughed off. Since I was already holding a ticket it didn't matter and I could afford to goof around on the price. Ended up going inside with it, and it was in the very last row at the very top of the very last section in the back. Still not bad for a few bucks more than a movie ticket.
Also walked by an office with a sign posted for "Assisted Listening Devices." Wasn't optimistic but it was worth a shot to inquire anyway. Nope, only available for sporting events.
This time, perhaps because it was Friday, the crowd was just a tad bit younger than the other night. This time I only saw one other male across 2 sections (a father of a small group?) and the average age was more like 14-16. I have been going to too many classic rock gigs, it's actually refreshing being around people who haven't seen hundreds of concerts, aren't totally jaded and can't actually get sincerely excited.
It was yet another great show but basically the same as the previous one as expected. Though my excitement was somewhat muted up until the day before the show, I really wished I made arrangements so I could follow the tour to Vegas and see it 2 more times.
My cousin, a veteran of many heavy metal and punk rock shows and more mosh pits than I have seen also really liked it.
I guess that's all I have to say about the three shows, feel free to flame away or even wonder if I am really serious.
Dec 8 Deathbed Converts/The Slighted/This Moment In Black History at the Scene
Deathbed Converts is my friend Gabe Hart providing guitar ambience for some dude's stream of consciousness ranting, poetry and perhaps a song or two. Engaging enough and able to keep my mind off the previous nights' shows long enough. The other two bands were punk rock with keyboards!
Dec 13 Alicia Grant at Starbuck's
Solo acoustic guitar. Good stuff aside from the Christmas music. Never heard her before. Thought there might be comp tickets available for Velvet Revolver and was somewhat tempted to do that but figured just about any other show would be a better bet and this case I was right.
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| 15th December 2007 04:27 PM |
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| fireontheplatter |
how on earth can you afford all these rock concerts?
great reviews...the first band sounds like fun |
| 15th December 2007 04:34 PM |
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| Bloozehound |
Dudes all spicy over the Spice Girls |
| 15th December 2007 05:06 PM |
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| Dan |
quote:
fireontheplatter wrote:
how on earth can you afford all these rock concerts?
Guest lists, comps, Ebay etc. The most expensive was Melanie C at a total of $22.46 followed by the 2nd Spice Girls show for $15. The rest were free to $8. The Starbucks, Amoeba and Monday nights at the Scene are always free.
It's been a good year, I think I have spent more money on bus fare and slurpees than admission. |
| 15th December 2007 05:23 PM |
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| fireontheplatter |
quote:
Dan wrote:
Guest lists, comps, Ebay etc. The most expensive was Melanie C at a total of $22.46 followed by the 2nd Spice Girls show for $15. The rest were free to $8. The Starbucks, Amoeba and Monday nights at the Scene are always free.
It's been a good year, I think I have spent more money on bus fare and slurpees than admission.
btw.....what prompt you to change your avatar? |
| 15th December 2007 05:24 PM |
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| Dan |
quote:
fireontheplatter wrote:
btw.....what prompt you to change your avatar?
I don't know, I stole it from someone on another board |
| 15th December 2007 06:05 PM |
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| Bloozehound |
So Dan, did ya score some hot pussy at Spice Girls show ? |
| 15th December 2007 06:27 PM |
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| Dan |
quote:
Bloozehound wrote:
So Dan, did ya score some hot pussy at Spice Girls show ?
No. Scored a decent tape night one though. I usually don't talk to anyone at arena shows because they might not stop talking once the lights go out. |
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