Top 20 Live Songs of 2012

20. "Banana Boat (Day-O)" - Good Old War, 04.25, Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY
"Do you wanna hear Tim do his best Harry Belafonte?" Keith asked the crowd. Tim sang the opening to "Day-O" perfectly, but no one expected the band to join in and play the whole song. Nice birthday present.

19. "Como Ves" - Ozomatli & the New York Pops, 06.12, Rumsey Playfield, New York, NY
Classic Ozo taken to new heights with the orchestra.

18. "Ashamed" - Deer Tick, 12.19, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY

Started off slow and built into a frenzy of horn solos and crowd chants.

17. "Spirit Bird" - Xavier Rudd, 12.03, Irving Plaza, New York, NY
Offering the last part to the audience to sing, the fans succeeded with remarkable restraint and pitch control.

16. "Golden Train" - Penguin Prison, 06.24, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY
Hopping off the stage to perform while walking through the crowd during the first song surprised the shit out of me.

15. "Stars" - Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, 06.14, Irving Plaza, New York, NY
You could see the pain on her face that she felt when she wrote this beautiful ballad.

14. "One Foot Before the Other" - Frank Turner, 09.30, Webster Hall, New York, NY

Frank Turner goes prog.  Lights and bass were amazing.

13. "Excuse Me Mr." - Ben Harper, 10.10, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
Hard to pick a favorite from the night, but the off-mic singing on this sounded incredible in the hallowed hall.

12. "Digest" - Ben Taylor, 05.17, City Winery, New York, NY
John Forté asked if he could sing it with Ben, and modified the lyrics to "Nothing's been the same since I've been gone," to reference his time in prison.

11. "Rat Race" - Antibalas, 08.18, Williamsburg Park, Brooklyn, NY
Likely the best Marley cover I've seen.

10. "Be Mine" - Alabama Shakes, 10.06, Merriweather Post Pavilion (Virgin Mobile Freefest), Columbia, MD

Brittany Howard just aced it on this one.

9. "We Are Young" - Fun, 06.22, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
Crowd sang along triumphantly to the single of the year. Great acoustics.

8. "(718)" - 2 Skinnee J's, 08.24, Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY
In (718). Haven't jumped in the air at a concert in God knows how long.

7. "What Makes a Good Man?" - The Heavy, 08.30, Irving Plaza, New York, NY
Backup singers sent this one to near heavenly proportions.

6. "Root Down" - Animal Liberation Orchestra, 05.09, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY
Just days after Adam Yauch's passing, ALO busted out this funky gem, which included "Maria" in its center.

5. "No One's Gonna Love You" - Band of Horses, 09.18, House of Vans, Brooklyn, NY
One of my favorite songs ever in such an intimate venue.  Literally got chills.

4. "Walk Like a Giant" - Neil Young & Crazy Horse, 09.29, Central Park Great Lawn (Global Festival), New York, NY
Crashing footsteps of a giant at the end were so fucking ballsy.

3. "Shake Up the Place" - 10 Ft. Ganja Plant, 04.20, The Middle East, Cambridge, MA
Sublime harmonies.  The smile on Kevin Kinsella's face has been burned into my mind forever.

2. "Try" - Everyone Orchestra, 10.27, Sullivan Hall, New York, NY
Grand Ole Opry-style chorus combined with Zach Gill's hilarious musings on his attic.  Should always be performed this way.

1. "Down with Disease" - Phish, 12.30, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Sweetest jam of the whole NYE run.  Spaced through different movements until it came to a driving funk conclusion.  I'll be listening to this for years.

Top 15 Concerts of 2012

These were the top 15 concerts I attended in 2012.  Feel free to make your own list in the comments.

15. Diamond Rugs - 06.24, Rumsey Playfield, New York, NY
"Totally Lonely" was exponentially better live than recorded, with all the members joining producer Justin Collins on the final refrain. For the set-closing "Christmas in a Chinese Restaurant," the group thinned its ranks to a duo of McCauley and Los Lobos' Steve Berlin. The fact that it was merely days after the summer solstice only amplified the beautiful sadness of the song." (Read full review)

14. Deer Tick - 12.19, Brooklyn Bowl, Brooklyn, NY

"With a loud "Kick it!" they crunched into "Fight for Your Right." Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit now had the oft-traded Mustang, but his most memorable contribution to the song was throwing pitcher after pitcher of beer onto the crowd. This insane final display was the ultimate example of why we go to Deer Tick shows: Because anything can happen because it's a goddam party." (Read full review)

13. Alabama Shakes - 10.06, Merriweather Post Pavilion (Virgin Mobile Freefest), Columbia, MD

"While bassist Zac Cockrell still only moved slightly more than a well-timed bobblehead, Brittany Howard was absolutely magnetic.  She was wearing a blue dress with red dots and sporting a straightened hairdo, but you couldn't take your eyes off her face.  If you were a deaf person, you could've learned all the vowel sounds just by the way her mouth moved, soulful howls bursting out of the gaping hole." (Read full review)

12. Mayer Hawthorne - 04.16, Webster Hall, New York, NY
"This isn't a concert; it's a show," Hawthorne announced at the onset.  Backed by his band, the County, MH dazzled fans with a set of soulful originals from both of his albums, and even a few Hall & Oates covers.  For final song "Henny & Gingerale," Hawthorne played bartender and made drinks for those in the front row as he sang.

11. Matt Embree - 09.11, The Acheron, Brooklyn, NY

"The banter became downright ridiculous, Embree claiming he knew half the people in the room, even their "drunken-ass aliases, like when you get so drunk you're another person." While he may have seemed like another person between songs, his drunkenness had no effect on his musicianship. His guitar solo in "Taking Chase as the Serpent Slithers" was absolutely ferocious, and he proved his vocal prowess on a soulful cover of Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand." (Read full review)

10. 10 Ft. Ganja Plant - 04.20, The Middle East, Cambridge, MA

This was the third ever live performance for the secretive reggae band.  The sweaty night of dub in the basement of the club was a night to remember... though due to obvious reasons, somewhat forgotten. 

9. Phish - 12.30, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY

"Disarmed by the first set, we were all ready for Phish to drop the real jams on us.  Kicking things off with "Down with Disease," the boys made it through the main part, and then unearthed a subterranean monster toward its end.  Knowing glances around the room as we lapped up the amazingly funked-out puzzle where all the pieces fit properly." (Read full review)

8. Ben Harper - 10.10, Carnegie Hall, New York, NY
"That was only the start of what would be the 54-minute encore, where Harper reached back into his catalog to revive old favorites like "Not Fire Not Ice," "Power of the Gospel," and "Welcome to the Cruel World."  The show could have bookended with the instrumental "Exhale," but surprisingly, Ben brought his chair downstage, even in front of the suspended stage mic, to play "Suzie Blue" on ukulele." (Read full review)

7. Kishi Bashi - 05.16, Le Poisson Rouge, New York, NY

It's hard to upstage the Barr Brothers, but with a violin, a microphone, and some looping pedals, he did it.  Everyone stared silently in awe as he magically constructed his songs piece by piece.  Best of the three times I saw him.

6. The Heavy - 08.30, Irving Plaza, New York, NY

A live staple for years, "The Big Bad Wolf" followed it like Little Red Riding Hood, but this wasn't the sneaky trickster from the children's tale.  This was a fucking monster.  With the crowd howling and screaming, "What you say!" it was incredible to realize that I was in a room full of adults singing along, "I'm gonna huff and puff, and blow your house down!" (Read full review)

5. Ben Taylor - 05.17, City Winery, New York, NYBen and band unveiled several new songs from his upcoming album Listening in the sonically sweet space.  Audience member John Forté sat in for a few tunes, including the fan-suggested encore "Digest."

4. Animal Liberation Orchestra - 07.23, Rocks Off Boat Cruise, New York, NY
"You guys are yelling out some really old ones," noted Dan.  "Should we do 'Sexo y Drogas?'"  And they did.  For the first time in over a year.  It was like watching 2004-era ALO all over again.  Before launching into the singalong "Walls of Jericho," I heard Lebo tuning a little ghost of "They Love Each Other."  My ears didn't deceive me, the Garcia ditty exhuming itself from the remains of "Walls." (Read full review)

3. Grace Potter & the Nocturnals - 06.14, Irving Plaza, New York, NY

"At 9:37, the band took the stage to the tribal drums of the title track off their newest  album, The Lion the Beast the Beat. Having released the LP on Tuesday, the set was heaped with fresh tunes, and Grace wasn't ashamed of it. "If you don't know it, just fucking pretend you do." (Read full review)

 

2. Band of Horses - 09.18, House of Vans, Brooklyn, NY

"What was evident was that these boys love playing music. Ben sang with such gusto, you could witness the veins bulging in his tattooed neck. Every member had a wide grin for the show's duration; even the typically stoic Ramsey sneaking out a smirk from somewhere in the center of his beard." (Read full review)

 

1. Neil Young & Crazy Horse - 09.29, Central Park Great Lawn (Global Festival), New York, NY

"Neil Young and Crazy Horse played a blistering mix of new songs from the upcoming Psychedelic Pill, and classics like the 15-minute opener "Love & Only Love." Young, Poncho, and Billy Talbot huddled together in the center of the stage, churning out waves of distortion into the crisp night air." (Read full review)

Band of Horses Play All of Their Songs (Almost)

Last night at the Manhattan Center, over the course of three sets spanning two shows, Band of Horses played their entire album discography...almost. "Islands on the Coast" got lost in the shuffle, but it was still an epic night of 3+ hours of BoH.

A few months ago, when I got an email that Band of Horses were going to be playing two shows (one acoustic, one electric) at the Manhattan Center, and that there would be a fan presale at 10am the next day, I set an alarm. I bought acoustic tickets, having already seen them plugged in twice this year at House of Vans and Global Festival. That afternoon at 4:30, I got an email claiming that because I was on their fan list, I could purchase a two-show pass. For twelve dollars more, I could go to both shows and get a limited edition poster? I clicked "order" without even blinking.

My seats for the acoustic show were in the second row. Unfortunately, they were all the way to the right, next to a security guard watching a very popular side door to a well-lit hallway. I wasn't happy that as a fan, I was banished to this zone, especially having to listen to the majority of the sound from a speaker smaller than ones at my parents' house. I don't know if it sounded better for the people in the center, but I assume it did.

"Don't worry. It's not going to be very serious. At times it's going to be repulsively off," warned Ben Bridwell as the band took the stage. They opened with "On My Way Back Home," a tune that was played by request at House of Vans, and followed that with "Marry Song." "Here's the first time we ever tried this one like this. Should be interesting," Bridwell offered before "Dilly." "Long Vows" started with a boogie-woogie intro, and "Shut-In Tourist" had some wonderful vocal harmonies. The band then retreated to the wings, leaving Bridwell alone. "Guess I'll do this one by myself," he joked. Introducing "St. Augustine" he said, "This will be one of two sacred cows we massacre tonight. I've never played this before in my life. This is so weird." Under his breath, "Jesus." He fumbled for a couple of lyrics, but brought it all together nicely. Tyler Ramsey took his seat stage left, and whispered into the mic, "That was really pretty." The repartee between the two was quite funny: "Good Luck." "You too, buddy." They tackled their duet "Evening Kitchen" and then performed a lovely "No One's Gonna Love You." I almost wanna hear it that way all the time now, minus the squawking of the security guard's walkie and the loud catcalls from some guy in the crowd (If you have the ability to whistle really loudly, I assure you, you are the only person who's impressed by that.). I also think the duo songs were my favorites of the night. Drums are still drums and electric bass is still electric bass during an acoustic show, and they buried a lot of the nuances.

The other members gradually returned to the stage with each tune. It was then that the announcement was made (at least that I heard from my position): "This next song sucks. But we've got to play all of 'em." They were going to play all of their songs across the two shows. "You can pay 99 cents on iTunes for this bullshit right here," Ben said as they ventured into the instrumental "Lamb on the Lam." Midway through the song, he laughed, "Just let us know when it's been a minute, okay?" The song was over quickly, and someone in the crowd shouted, "Skynyrd!" Little did anyone know, it would be this fan who prevented the band from playing all their songs. On Cease to Begin, "Lamb" is essentially an intro to "Islands on the Coast," but when challenged by the fan, the Horses decided to find their way through Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Simple Man." Afterwards, they revealed that they had recently met the band. "Glad we met them before we decided to play that song," jested Ryan Monroe. After "Slow Cruel Hands of Time," Ben asked, "Do you know any Phil Collins?" prompting Ryan to tease Genesis' "That's All." For final song, "The General Specific," Bridwell urged the crowd to their feet. As the audience clapped along, the house lights, including those on the wall sconces, flickered to the music like a hokey haunted house effect.

With one show down, we made our way down what seemed like hundreds of stairs, and picked up our colorful limited edition posters that made all the other merch-buyers jealous. They probably had better seats though. A quick look at Twitter confirmed that yes, BoH would be playing all of their songs. I went back to my office to drop off the print and my coat, braving the bitter wind on the way back to the venue. I could have kept my coat with me, however, as it was chilly in Hammerstein. Lacking any center stage speakers, the closer you are in Hammerstein, the worse it sounds, so we grabbed a spot mid-floor.

Jason Lytle, of Grandaddy fame, opened the show. Accompanied by Rusty Miller on guitar, Lytle made his way through seven of his solo songs, and one Grandaddy number, "I'm on Standby." I've never been a big Grandaddy fan or listened to Lytle, and he didn't awe me. It wasn't awful, but it was nothing special either. What's surprising is that when I was combing through songs on iTunes to put together the setlist, I liked the studio versions better. They reminded me a little of Small Sins.

I'd seen Band of Horses play Hammerstein last year, and now they were on that massive stage again. This time they made it very known that they were playing all their songs. "It's way overindulgent and kinda silly, but why not? We're gonna take a little break in the middle, so you can go throw a piss or smoke or whatever," said Bridwell. I don't know that I've ever thrown a piss, but I guess it means peeing really quickly, lines be damned, because the set break was only 7 minutes.

I'm not going to give a play-by-play of the electric show, but I will say I preferred set one. "The Great Salt Lake" featured Bridwell teasing Ace of Base, "Window Blues" finished with an impromptu ditty about wasting time when they still had so many songs to play, and set-closer "The Funeral" was played for the second time of the night. The exciting centerpiece was a six-song chain, linked together by Bridwell beckoning his bandmates to continue playing between the songs. "Compliments" was paired with rapidly morphing images of snow-capped mountains and evergreen trees, a captivating addition to their ever-changing background video.

Set two contained a Ramsey instrumental before "Everything's Gonna Be Undone," Bridwell swigging from what looked to be a bottle of red wine during "Heartbreak on the 101," and the reprise of both "No One's" and "Neighbor." "We've gotta repeat a couple of 'em 'cause some of y'all didn't get to go to that other thing," attested Bridwell. I wish someone had been keeping track of the songs better so "Islands" didn't get lost in the sea, but honestly, I didn't even notice until I was on the train ride home.

See Band of Horses live. Bridwell has an amazing voice, the harmonies are pitch-perfect, the banter is funny, and they play with an exuberance rarely matched by other indie bands today. Continuing tonight, I'm spending three weeks watching Deer Tick play their four-album catalog. Band of Horses almost got it done in one night.

BAND OF HORSES - 12.11.12 - MANHATTAN CENTER

GRAND BALLROOM

ACOUSTIC SET (1 hour, 10 minutes) -
On My Way Back Home / Marry Song / Dilly / Long Vows / Shut-In Tourist / St. Augustine / Evening Kitchen / No One's Gonna Love You / Neighbor / Detlef Schrempf / How to Live / Lamb on the Lam (in the City) / Simple Man / Slow Cruel Hands of Time / That's All (tease) / Wicked Gil / The Funeral / The General Specific

HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM

ELECTRIC SET ONE (1 hour, 19 minutes) -
For Annabelle > The First Song / Electric Music / Part One / Older / A Little Biblical / Weed Party / The Great Salt Lake > All That She Wants (tease) > The Great Salt Lake / Blue Beard > Compliments > Dumpster World > Cigarettes, Wedding Bands > Factory > Knock Knock / Window Blues > Just Filling Time* / Laredo / Ode to LRC / The Funeral

ELECTRIC SET TWO (46 minutes) -
Our Swords / Tyler Ramsey Solo* / Everything's Gonna Be Undone / No One's Gonna Love You > NW Apt. / Feud / Is There a Ghost / Heartbreak on the 101 / Infinite Arms / I Go to the Barn Because I Like The > Monsters > Neighbor

JASON LYTLE - 12.11.12 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (32 minutes, 27 seconds)

SET -

I Am Lost (and the Moment Cannot Last) > Willow Wand Willow Wand / Hangtown / Yours Truly, the Commuter / Get Up & Go / I'm on Standby / This Song is the Mute Button / Young Saints

Band of Horses Acoustic Tickets Available!

Band of Horses are giving a special acoustic performance at the Manhattan Center's Grand Ballroom this Tuesday, December 11th at 7pm.  I have two extra tickets to the sold-out show (For some crazy reason, they made the announcement for the two-show pack pre-sale after the individual pre-sale, so I bought both.), and the orchestra seats are excellent.  They are located here: Section 101, Row J, Seats 5-6.  I figured I'd give my readers a chance to grab them before I put them on Craigslist.  I'm selling the pair for $77, which is Ticketmaster face value + like a dollar for my posting/printing/scheduling.  You won't find better seats at this price.  Email me with subject line "BoH Acoustic" and we'll work it out for you to get them either on Monday or Tuesday.

Global Festival Setlists, Photos, & Review

On Saturday, 60,000 global citizens in Central Park (and many more watching the largest webcast in history) experienced Global Festival, a concert to raise awareness and end extreme poverty.  I read some statistics, watched some videos, signed some petitions, and was fortunate enough to receive tickets to the show for my efforts.

I met my friends at 72nd St and Central Park West around 3:30, and we made our way down the half-mile-long chute to get onto the Great Lawn.  Divided into six pens, we were corralled into the front of Pen 3 (left side, middle).  It was the furthest back I've ever been for a concert, but seeing how far the crowd went behind us at the end of the night, we had a great spot.

A gigantic stage with a large circular screen framed by a proscenium of the Global Poverty Project's red O logo, sat imposingly at the north end of the lawn.  I went to grab food before it got too crowded, so I missed most of Katie Couric's greeting, but I did make it back in time to see Beyoncé's music video for "I Was Here."  Which is a relief, considering it was the biggest waste of time of the night.  Not only had I seen it at work before, but why was I watching a fucking music video when the opening act only got to play for 15 minutes?!?

Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan kicked things off with "In the Beginning," banging on a drum in front of him as he shouted the lyrics.  He then played new song "The Seed," which traced his origins to a refugee camp in Africa.  His worldwide hit "Wavin' Flag" was an obvious choice for his final number, but in an effort to "reclaim that song as a personal song," he added an opening verse, sans instruments, about moving to Harlem in the '90s and having problems with the INS.

Band of Horses opened with new single "Knock Knock" and transitioned into "The Great Salt Lake."  Ben Bridwell stomped his foot before singing the title lyrics each time, which reverberated off the wooden stageof House of Vans nicely, but went unheard in the huge open space of the park.  Introducing the next song, Ben said, "We have to play our best songs even if they're really sensitive.  Here comes a sensitive song."  As the chiming guitar of "No One's Gonna Love You" came in, my body was overtaken by euphoria (as usual).  Before their last song "The Funeral," the ever-gracious Bridwell said with a big grin on his face, "Man, this is such a great event.  I can't get over it.  We get to play with our heroes.  We get to play the Lawn.  This is just so incredible.  Even if you don't know who we are, I just wanna say thank you so much for listening and having us, really." 

Video pieces from countries around the globe, highlighting individuals who have made personal goals to eradicate polio, malaria, and other diseases, were introduced by a cavalcade of supermodels urging us to take action by tweeting (We really are the laziest country.).  After hearing the shocking statistic on global infant mortality ("While you're here at this incredible concert tonight, 4000 babies will die."), I was curious as to how much awareness without action really matters.  Does being a "global citizen" really just entail having a smartphone and sharing these facts on Facebook?  Why wasn't anyone collecting donations?  Did anyone else there actually watch the videos online, or just sign petitions unknowingly because they'd get to see Foo Fighters?

Surprise guest John Legend appeared at a piano stage left and said, "You might have heard this song before.  It was written by a guy named John Lennon."  He led the crowd in a singalong of "Imagine" and was gone just as quickly as he'd arrived.

Worried that they'd just do the same setlist as they did when I saw them at Catalpa (and that they've been playing for a year now), I was pleasantly surprised to hear the Black Keys perform "She's Long Gone," which has normally been reserved for encores.  The appearance of "Gold on the Ceiling" later in the set, where it belongs, was also a nice change. The biggest Patrick Carney flub occurred during the second part of "Little Black Submarines," where he couldn't keep cadence.  In contrast, Dan Auerbach mastered his guitar solo on "Tighten Up" for one of their best performances.  Having played with their band for the whole set, they finished as a duo with "I Got Mine."

The crowd reached critical mass before Foo Fighters.  It was probably the wrong time to bring out UNICEF ambassador Selena Gomez to speak on eliminating the number of preventable deaths of children.  People around me started booing her for being a better person than they will ever be.  Audience members talked over the presenters throughout the evening, however, proving that the organizers should have cranked up the audio on the activists so more would pay attention to what this was really about.

Just before 7:30, Dave Grohl took the stage alone in front of an illuminated Foo Fighters logo on the back screen.  "I'm not playing for you; I'm playing with you tonight," he announced to the army of fans, and began strumming the opening chords of "Times Like These."  The band made their way onto the stage halfway through the song to finish it out with him, and then amped it up with the balls-to-the-wall "All My Life," igniting a mosh pit nearby.  They segued into "My Hero," which had the whole crowd singing its triumphant chorus.  Grohl admitted, "I wish we could play all night, you know what I mean?"  Cheers.  "But I'd rather see Neil Young," he laughed maniacally.  He went on to explain that they didn't know when they'd be performing next, and decided this would be the perfect last show until then.  They followed "Learn to Fly" with three songs from Wasting Light and a so-so "Best of You."  "I don't know when we'll see ya, but we'll see ya around," Dave remarked before they launched into their normal closer "Everlong." 

The crowd thinned a little after Foo Fighters, but those who left missed the highlight of the evening.  Topping their set from last week's Farm Aid, Neil Young and Crazy Horse played a blistering mix of new songs from the upcoming Psychedelic Pill, and classics like the 15-minute opener "Love & Only Love."  Young, Poncho, and Billy Talbot huddled together in the center of the stage, churning out waves of distortion into the crisp night air.  Before playing new tune "Born in Ontario," Young reminisced about the first time he came to NYC for an audition: "This is a great place… even though I didn't get it."  The band showed off their whistling skills on "Walk Like a Giant," the 18-minute song culminating in a series of noisy strikes led by drummer Ralph Molina, that simulated the crashing footsteps of a giant.  Crazy Horse left the stage for Neil to perform a pair of acoustic tunes, the quintessential anti-heroin song, "The Needle & the Damage Done" and the new "Twisted Road."  "Road" recalls what it's like to listen to the music of your idols, and it's even sweeter when you realize that Dylan and the Dead aren't just Neil's idols, but his peers.  Crazy Horse returned to the stage for "Fuckin' Up," and the whole night came to its finale with "Rockin' in the Free World," where Dan Auerbach, K'naan, Foo Fighters, and Band of Horses all got in on the action.  After a cacophony of guitars soloed at the same time, just when everyone thought the song was over, Neil whipped his finger around like a lasso to signal everyone for another round of the chorus.  Here's to rockin' in a world free of preventable diseases and full of free concerts.

 

K’NAAN – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (15 minutes)

SET –

In the Beginning / The Seed / Wavin’ Flag

BAND OF HORSES – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (20 minutes)

SET –

Knock Knock > The Great Salt Lake / No One’s Gonna Love You / The Funeral

JOHN LEGEND – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (6 minutes)

SET –

Imagine

THE BLACK KEYS – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (52 minutes)

SET –

Howlin’ for You / Next Girl / Run Right Back / Same Old Thing / Dead & Gone / Little Black Submarines / Money Maker / Strange Times / Nova Baby / She’s Long Gone > Tighten Up / Gold on the Ceiling / Lonely Boy / I Got Mine

FOO FIGHTERS – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (51 minutes)

SET –

Times Like These / All My Life > My Hero / Learn to Fly > Arlandria / These Days > Walk / Best of You / Everlong

NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE – 09.29.12 – CENTRAL PARK, GLOBAL FESTIVAL (1 hour, 10 minutes)

SET –

Love & Only Love / Powderfinger / Born in Ontario / Walk Like a Giant / The Needle & the Damage Done / Twisted Road / Fuckin’ Up / Rockin’ in the Free World 

No Mirage, Band of Horses Rock

Those who pre-ordered Band of Horses' new album Mirage Rock from Insound (or RSVP'd online) were invited to a special gig at House of Vans in Greenpoint on 9/18, the day of the album's release.  Violent rain and wind threatened attendees to abandon the beer tent and go indoors, where they received a staggeringly good show, peppered with new tunes and brimming with old favorites.


No opener was announced, but Band of Horses' guitarist, Tyler Ramsey, took the stage alone to warm up the crowd.  Beginning with a finger-picking instrumental that will be released on 78rpm by Tompkins Square, Ramsey silenced the room, aside from a slight buzz in the speakers.  After playing "The Valley Wind" and "1000 Black Birds," both of which had some great lyrics, he decided on "No One Goes Out."  His long fingers moved along the strings effortlessly, and the respectful crowd listened intently, causing Ramsey to remark, "Apparently people do go out," at the song's conclusion.  Ben Bridwell joined him on harmony for a cover of Cyndi Lauper's "All Through the Night" for his final number.

Just before 9pm, the music on the PA shifted to Milli Vanilli's "Blame It on the Rain" and the Band of Horses took their positions.  "We're gonna blame this show on the rain," suggested Bridwell, and they galloped into "The General Specific."  As the song came to its close, Creighton Barrett's drums kept pounding and the distortion from three guitars morphed into "Knock Knock," the single from the new LP.  All that knocking opened the door to "NW Apt."  "It's gonna be one long song," Ben joked, as they merged into "Islands on the Coast."  After that opening salvo, they didn't pull back, they pushed forward with their best tune, "No One's Gonna Love You."  Normally I'd say this would be too early in the set, but it being legitimately among my favorite songs of all time, I was immediately overtaken by emotion, almost in a daze listening to the soaring vocals and shimmery guitars.

Bridwell then paused to talk about the new album, specifically its shared release date with some of his favorite artists: "It's like a damn holiday for music lovers."  They eased their way into "Dumpster World," which started off with CSN-style harmonies and then abruptly plunged into a chorus of crunchy guitars and shouted vocals.  While the album will take a few more spins before I can give a real verdict on it, the new songs seemed to fit pretty comfortably into the setlist.  Bridwell dedicated "Marry Song" to his wife, who was celebrating her birthday, and he even fielded a request for "On My Way Back Home."  "That's a tough one.  Shit, I'll try it."  And it was mainly a success, despite one vocal flub and the fact that Ramsey either didn't remember how to play it, or more likely, didn't have a guitar tuned for it (Two guitar techs provided fresh axes in between every song.) and awkwardly slunk backwards without playing a note.  "Have we ever done that fucking live before?" Bridwell questioned with a smile.

Without the distraction of video collages projected behind them like when I saw them at Hammerstein or at MSG opening for My Morning Jacket, you were free to watch them as solely a band.  And what was evident was that these boys love playing music.  Ben sang with such gusto, you could witness the veins bulging in his tattooed neck.  Every member had a wide grin for the show's duration; even the typically stoic Ramsey sneaking out a smirk from somewhere in the center of his beard.  

They ended the set as they started it: with a medley, this time "Wicked Gil" to "Ode to LRC" to "The Funeral."  They thanked the crowd repeatedly and went backstage.  A few minutes later, they returned for an encore of the first BoH song I ever heard, "Detlef Schrempf," and the title track from Infinite Arms.  "This has been so fun.  It shouldn't be this fun," Bridwell pronounced.  He then corrected himself: "It should be."

TYLER RAMSEY – 09.18.12 – HOUSE OF VANS (33 minutes)

SET –

Instrumental* / The Valley Wind / 1000 Black Birds / No One Goes Out / A Long Dream / All Through the Night (feat. Ben Bridwell)

BAND OF HORSES – 09.18.12 – HOUSE OF VANS (1 hour, 37 minutes)

SET –

The General Specific > Knock Knock > NW Apt. > Islands on the Coast / No One’s Gonna Love You / Dumpster World / Cigarettes, Wedding Bands / Electric Music / Older / The Great Salt Lake / Is There a Ghost / Marry Song / Slow Cruel Hands of Time / Laredo / On My Way Back Home / How to Live / Wicked Gil > Ode to LRC > The Funeral

ENCORE –

Detlef Schrempf / Infinite Arms

150th Post!

This marks the 150th post at Dry Paint Signs.

Although it took awhile for this blog to find itself, I think it's safe it to say that its current incarnation of concert review resource has been the most popular.  July was a record month for the site, receiving almost a quarter of its all-time views.  Then, in August, that number was more than doubled.

Stories have been quoted by Brooklyn Vegan, flat-out stolen by Gothamist, and even tweeted by the lead singer of the Heavy.

I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to read my articles because I take a lot of time crafting them.  I especially want to thank the repeat readers, who check back daily for new posts.

Here's just a few of the shows I'll be going to in the next few weeks, so you can get excited prematurely:

The Postelles @ Cameo Gallery
Band of Horses @ House of Vans
Dr. Dog @ Rumsey Playfield
Farm Aid
Global Festival

Also, I'm going to start having some contests on the site to attract more readers, and give away some bonus download codes that I get from buying vinyls.

For a digital copy of Bon Iver by Bon Iver:

Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) is from Eau Claire, WI.  What is the name of the biggest record store in Eau Claire?

First person to correctly answer in the comments below within 24 hours gets it.  Please leave your email address with your answer. (Don't comment if you own the album.  There's no bonus tracks or anything; just the same ten tracks you already have.)

My Morning Jacket Returns to MSG

Taking the MSG stage for the second time in their career after 2008's New Year's Eve performance, My Morning Jacket had a lot to live up to. I'm glad to say they did it. Though at first their set seemed somewhat front-loaded, as the show went on, I kept hearing more and more songs that I would've been devastated not to hear them play. I did however, find it highly suspicious that they didn't play "Highly Suspicious."

An early treat in the set was "Wonderful" as a duet with opener Band of Horses' frontman Ben Bridwell, he and Yim Yames seamlessly trading verses and harmonizing on the refrain. The fact that Bridwell excitedly hugged each member of the band directly after the song made it all the more poignant. Yames was definitely on his A-game for the show, leading the crowd in wordless choruses and shaking off leg spasms as he shredded his guitar. Brian Jackson sat in on flute for an extended "Dondante" jam and later on a cover of his and Gil Scott-Heron's "The Bottle." "Holdin on to Black Metal" made the best use of the stage design during the show, with cartoon demon sperm appearing on the screens to belt out the hook. The joyous evening came to a seasonal close in "I'll Be Home for Christmas" with Band of Horses singing backup.

BAND OF HORSES – 12.14.11 – MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (1 hour)

SET –

Cigarettes, Wedding Bands / The Great Salt Lake / Is There a Ghost / The General Specific / For Annabelle / The First Song / Islands on the Coast / Older / No One’s Gonna Love You / Infinite Arms / Ode to LRC / The Funeral / Am I a Good Man

MY MORNING JACKET – 12.14.11 – MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (2 hours, 28 minutes)

SET –

Victory Dance / Circuital / It Beats 4 U / First Light / I’m Amazed / Wonderful (The Way I Feel) (feat. Ben Bridwell) / Steam Engine / Outta My System / Dancefloors / Golden / Mahgeetah / Dondante (feat. Brian Jackson) / Smokin from Shootin / Run Thru / Touch Me I’m Going to Scream pt. 2 / Off the Record / Gideon

ENCORE –

Bermuda Highway / Wordless Chorus / The Day is Coming / The Bottle (feat. Brian Jackson) / Holdin on to Black Metal / One Big Holiday / I’ll Be Home for Christmas (feat. Band of Horses)

Band of Horses Salvage Tour & Begin New Album

"The tour we were on got fucked," said Band of Horses' Ben Bridwell, referring to the cancelled US leg of the Kings of Leon tour. Just one week after the announcement (and five days of ticket sales), they managed to pack the Hammerstein Ballroom for a headlining show this Wednesday. "We turned fucking apples into lemonade or whatever."

And what sweet, sweet lemonade it was. In front of a large screen that projected various idyllic images, tour shots, and kangaroo sex, the band played cuts from all three of their albums, and the most spectacular news: a fourth? "We're gonna play a song now that's probably not even gonna be on the next album. But we start making the new record tomorrow." The drinking mishaps of one shitty band get a good one back into the studio sooner? Lemonade, indeed. (The new song is probably called "Rats" or "Bats" or something, but I just called it "Maybe I'm Done For," which I culled from the lyrics. "Acid Party" was the repetition of a grungy-sounding chord Ben Bridwell dubbed a new song before the band leaped into "Weed Party.")

The encore featured some rarities, including "Evening Kitchen" done by Ben and (giant) Tyler Ramsey, and a full-band cover of the New Year's "The End's Not Near," as featured on the The O.C. Mix 6. "Let's end this fucking weird-ass tour," proclaimed Bridwell before their closer, a soulful cover of "Am I a Good Man." Regarding the band's newfound free time, Bridwell joked, "If you need somebody to come by and clean the house..." With a new album in the works and the ability to fill the Hammerstein at $35/ticket in 5 days, I doubt they'll be picking up the vacuums anytime soon.

BAND OF HORSES – 08.10.11 – HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (1 hour, 47 minutes)

SET –

Infinite Arms / Cigarettes, Wedding Bands / NW Apt. / Is There a Ghost / The General Specific / Laredo / Marry Song / Part One / The Great Salt Lake / Islands on the Coast / Older / Detlef Schrempf / Dilly / Maybe I’m Done For* / Acid Party* / Weed Party / Wicked Gil / Ode to LRC / The Funeral

ENCORE –

Evening Kitchen / The End’s Not Near / No One’s Gonna Love You / The First Song / Am I a Good Man