Alabama Shakes Play Zeppelin on a Boat on Valentine's Day

With all the news of the poop-filled drama aboard the Carnival Triumph, it's hard to imagine anyone wanting to go on a cruise right now.  That is, unless you were one of the 125 fans lucky enough to win the chance to buy two tickets to see Alabama Shakes kick off the 13th annual Rocks Off Concert Cruise Season on the Destiny.  Fortunately for me, two of my friends won the lottery, so I didn't have to spend another Valentine's Day alone, weeping at home.

I had no idea there was going to be an opener, so it was a complete surprise when Brooklyn's Daddy Long Legs took the stage.  A three-piece blues outfit, they looked like they'd just stepped out of a photograph of a mid-'60s British rock band.  They got the crowd pumped up over the course of their rowdy ten-song set, spearheaded by some fantastic mouth harp-playing from the lanky singer only identified as Daddy Long Legs.  While his Shure Green Bullet may be the best mic for amplified harmonica, when it comes to vocals, it has about the fidelity of a school bus driver's loudspeaker, making it very difficult to discern the lyrics.  I almost bought the LP, but I'm waiting to hear samples before I commit to buying a record that I'll never know the words to.

A half-hour later, Alabama Shakes entered to the theme from Gilligan's Island over the PA.  "Thank you for coming to our boat party," greeted Brittany Howard, strapping on her guitar to start things off with "Hang Loose."  Having blown up even more since last I saw the band at Virgin Festival, the whole crowd sang along to "Hold On."  "Welcome to the Love Boat," said Brittany, handing out vulgar valentines like the two pictured here.

Due to the lack of a proper stage and minimal overhead lighting, the vibe on the boat was like a living room... if your living room was always floating down the Hudson River and full of people you don't know.  And with really great sound.  This was the second Rocks Off cruise I've been on, and I'm kind of amazed by the care the crew takes in making it sound better than many venues I've been to on land.  The intimacy of it was insane.  I'd always been able to see Brittany practically dislocate her jaw the way she opens her mouth when she sings, but now ten feet away, I could look down her throat!  In the past, I had expressed my frustration with Zac Cockrell's stage presence, but last night, he was my favorite one to watch.  Sporting overalls, a bushy beard, and a ballcap, he came out chewing a toothpick, looking more like a farmer than a guy in a Grammy-nominated rock band.  I think he was probably stoned or had really bad indigestion, as he played, the expressions on his face contorting along the gamut from pained teeth-clenching to cross-eyed ecstasy.  Keep making me eat my words from last June, Alabama Shakes.

The boat really started rocking during "Always Alright," and the band were determined to rock even harder, fogging up the windows.  "Who woulda thought we'd get some boat windows steamy here tonight?" laughed Howard.  Following that was "Rise to the Sun," which featured a new spaghetti Western-style intro that was likely a tease of a song I couldn't place, so any insight is appreciated (Comment below.).  "I'm sorry I have to sing this to you on Valentine's Day," apologized Brittany ahead of "Heartbreaker."  She introduced the next song as a story about a friend she grew up with, who had told her they were getting too old to be friends.  "And I thought that was some bullshit," she proclaimed, easing into "Boys & Girls."  It was a little ridiculous how many people began talking during the slow number.  Don't you know where you are?  You're on a fucking boat with the fucking Alabama Shakes!  Some fans had enough of the chatter, and resorted to shushing and one yell of "Shut up!"  While I obviously always side with the quiet ones, yelling "Shut up!" in the middle of a song is even more disruptive.

Brittany put down her six-string and won everyone back with what I've come to see as their signature live song, "Be Mine."  All the more poignant on Valentine's Day, Brittany erupted in the last chorus, grabbing a few guys in the front row to dance with.  "Y'all warmed up?  I wanna rock and roll with this boat," she said.  Encouraging the crowd to sing along to the opening guitar lick to "Mama," she urged, "Come on now. You won tickets to here. Don't be shy."  I thought the performance was awesome, but Brittany wasn't feeling it from the room.  "Y'all didn't seem to like that one.  I'm not offended," she admitted, and offered up "Makin' Me Itch."  Some people started talking again (I feel bad for respectful fans that didn't win tickets.) during the slow build of "You Ain't Alone," but this time Brittany took action, inserting a "Listen to me now!" into the lyrics.  "I saw the Statue of Liberty for the first time tonight," shared Brittany before plunging into "Heavy Chevy," which sounded even better at a less frantic pace.  "This has been the best Valentine's Day of my life," she revealed, and I'm sure the feeling was mutual among some of the passengers.  "Heat Lightning," with its built-in thank yous, closed the show, Brittany getting right up in the faces of the front rowers, throwing the mic on the deck at the song's conclusion.

The chants for one more song began almost immediately.  Brittany looked to guitarist Heath Fogg (I wonder if he's related to Kirk Fogg from Legends of the Hidden Temple?) with a face that said, "We have to," and the band made their way back to their positions. "I wanna hear it for Daddy Long Legs!"  Cheer.  "I wanna hear it for Valentine's Day!"  Cheer.  "I wanna hear it for New York!"  Cheer.  "I'm on a boat!"  Guffaw.

And then it happened.  They covered Led Zeppelin's epic "How Many More Times," with Brittany modifying the lyrics to fit her gender.  More than nine minutes later, the show was actually over, the band making their way to the ship's head.  Bruce Springsteen's "Adam Raised a Cain" was listed on the setlist before "Heat Lightning," but I'll take Zeppelin over the Boss any day.  Especially Valentine's Day.

ALABAMA SHAKES - 02.14.13 - ROCKS OFF BOAT CRUISE (1 hour, 11 minutes)

SET -
Hang Loose / Hold On / I Found You / Always Alright / Rise to the Sun / Heartbreaker / Boys & Girls / Be Mine / Mama / Makin' Me Itch / You Ain't Alone / Heavy Chevy / Heat Lightning

ENCORE -
How Many More Times

Dave Grohl Brings His Sound City Players to NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom

"It's gonna be a long fucking night. You know that, right?" announced Dave Grohl Wednesday at Hammerstein Ballroom.  He wasn't lying.  Over three hours later, legs sore and ears ringing, I left the venue having witnessed a show with one of the strangest (non-festival) lineups ever, with Alain Johannes, Chris Goss, Brad Wilk, Lee Ving, Rick Nielsen, Krist Novoselic, Rick Springfield, John Fogerty, and Stevie Nicks taking their turns fronting the Foo Fighters.

What united this odd collective of musicians known as the Sound City Players?  Sound City, a recording studio in Van Nuys where albums like Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Neil Young's After the Gold Rush, and Nirvana's Nevermind were all put to tape.  The dumpy studio had the luck of great acoustics combined with one-of-a-kind analog sound through a custom-built Neve 8028 mixing console.  Grohl is convinced that Nirvana would have never achieved their immense level of success had it not been for that board, so when Sound City was forced to close its doors as a commercial studio in May 2011 as a result of the domination of ProTools, he purchased the Neve from the owner, and installed it at his house.  Grohl could have been greedy with his new property, but instead, he invited a number of the musicians who had recorded with it at Sound City to create some new tunes with him.  The result was a documentary called Sound City (in theaters and up for download now) and a record (to be released in March).  With the mentality that if you release an album, you should tour behind it, Dave assembled the cast for a small number of concerts, the third of which was last night.

Around 8:40, the lights went out and a screen dropped from the rafters.  The opening five minutes to the film played out, beginning with Dave Grohl's narration over time-lapse footage of the trip from Seattle to Sound City.  A parade of talking heads, from Trent Reznor to Rick Rubin to Lars Ulrich, spouted off the names of bands that recorded there, as well as a few anecdotes.  Eventually, the interview subject it came to rest on was Alain Johannes, a member of bands Eleven, Queens of the Stone Age, and Them Crooked Vultures.  A title card with his name appeared, and the screen lifted to reveal Johannes with the Foo Fighters.  Opening with "A Trick With No Sleeve" from the Sound City LP, he followed it with some Eleven numbers, and a QOTSA track he wrote, "Hanging Tree."  I wasn't very familiar with his work, but he was a good axeman.  "I wish Al could play all night," said Grohl, who then corrected himself, "He could fucking play all night." Rest assured, he would return for several of the other sets.

Now with the theme of introductory vignettes established, the next two performers shown on the screen were Chris Goss of Masters of Reality, and Rage Against the Machine's Brad Wilk.  Sadly, no Rage songs were performed, but new song "Time Slowing Down" was one of my favorites of the night.  Its rhythm and closing guitar solo reminded me a little of early Jimmie's Chicken Shack.  A long slide down the neck of the guitar linked it seamlessly with another burner, "Domino."  "Ladies and gentlemen, Chris Goss has been our hero for fucking years!" screamed Grohl as the white curtain descended again.

Up until this point, the genre of the night had been "desert rock," but as Lee Ving's wild face appeared on the screen, the punk fans in the crowd whooped loudly.  As leader of the seminal California hardcore band Fear, Ving and his bandmates recorded their debut, The Record, at Sound City Studios.  I was very curious as to how the crowd would react.  Would there be moshing like at Fear's infamous 1981 Saturday Night Live appearance?  A splash of beer from a thrown cup was as rowdy as it got in the crowd, but onstage was a different story, amplified by Ving's howling harmonica in "Your Wife is Calling."  Picking up his guitar, he introduced "I Love Livin' in the City" as an "old-fashioned singalong."  Counting off every song with a rapid-fire "1-2-3-4, 1-2-3-4!" Ving and company blazed through six songs in 16 minutes.  Dave divulged, "People ask me, 'What's it like playing with Paul McCartney?  What's it like playing with Stevie Nicks? What's it like playing with John Fogerty?'  You know what it's like?  It's like playing with Lee fucking Ving!"

Rick Nielsen and Krist Novoselic came next, a gaggle of white balloons appearing out of nowhere at the start of their set.  Taylor Hawkins traded spots with Grohl, and got to live out his rock fantasy camp dream of singing Cheap Trick songs with Rick Nielsen.  Before the final song, the exhuberant Hawkins admitted that he was merely subbing for the guy who sings on the record, Corey Taylor of Slipknot.  "Hey, fuck him, Taylor. You're way better," Rick shot back, and they kicked into "Surrender."  Noticing Pat Smear singing along to the chorus, Nielsen attempted to coax him to the microphone, but Smear shook his head, happy enough just to share the stage.  Brad Wilk, however, had no problem returning to grab the mic on the opposite side to finish the last chorus, as Hawkins and Nielsen tossed out handfuls of shiny confetti onto the crowd.

The screen sank yet again, and heartthrob Rick Springfield's face garnered screams from the crowd, be they ironic or authentic.  Springfield may seem the odd man in the bunch, but he's essential to the Sound City story.  After years of being turned down by every manager in town, Sound City signed him to a record deal.  The first LP was 1981's Working Class Dog, which featured a little #1 song called "Jessie's Girl."  I personally like power pop, so I had no issue, but to any naysayers, this wasn't just Rick Springfield; it was Rick Springfield backed by the Foo Fighters.  The music was much heavier, especially the opener, the Sound City track, "The Man That Never Was."  His consistent pointing into the crowd felt a little cheesy, but with such catchy tunes as "Love is Alright Tonite" and "Love Somebody," I didn't care.  "God damn it, I love Rick Springfield," remarked Grohl between numbers. "I think it's time for the next performer... unless you have one more song?" Dave teased.  Springfield started up the classic riff before being interrupted by Grohl: "He wrote a song that you know by the fucking first three notes.  Teach me, Rick. Teach me. You're like fucking Yoda."  At the song's conclusion, Grohl exclaimed, "The original star of Sound City, Rick Springfield!"

The video clip preceding John Fogerty dealt with the loss of the human element with the advent of digital editing.  "It sounded too perfect," he lamented.  Though "Born on the Bayou" featured a nice jam, his set was far from perfect, the singer's swampy, gritty voice blown out after so many years of growling out his throaty vocals.  Halfway through the set, I realized that I was experiencing the concert in the wrong way.  Instead of comparing his vocals to how they sounded 45 years ago (an unrealistic expectation), I should have been delighting in the fact that he was up there still rocking out.  To watch the Foo Fighters smilingly accompany their idols was something special, particularly when the legends were the ones who actually appeared to be having the most fun.  "Hey, man. I don't know about you, but I'm up here playin' with the frickin' Foo Fighters!" giggled Fogerty, open-mouthed grin fixed on his 67-year-old face.

I'd been thinking that any of the previous three sets could've feasibly ended the show, but at the revue's conclusion, it was evident that Stevie Nicks was the only one who could've done it.  After recording Buckingham Nicks at Sound City, Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham hung out around the studio, having made friends with the staff.  When Mick Fleetwood came in one day searching for a guitarist, he heard a sample of Buckingham's playing and had to have him.  Fortunately, his girlfriend came in tow, and they joined Fleetwood Mac.  Their eponymous 1975 LP and the smash follow-up, Rumours, really put Sound City on the map.  After "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around," Nicks told the story of her 18-year-old godson's death by overdose that inspired her contribution to the Sound City record, "You Can't Fix This."  She proposed to Grohl, "Knowing our history, do you wanna go there with me? And he said, 'I'm going with you, babe.'"  The dark song was probably my favorite of her set, considering I've never really listened to Fleetwood Mac.  The two were left alone on the stage for "Landslide," with Dave on acoustic 12-string, though they were supported in the song's second half by a violinist and the accordion that had been sitting so presciently for the entire show.  Dave was visibly choked up at the song's end, and it took him a few minutes into "Gold Dust Woman"'s spacey intro to compose himself.  "God bless Stevie Nicks! God bless Sound City!" he shouted when the song had finally ended.

I wish I would have appreciated the spectacle of the whole thing sooner than I did instead of focusing so much on musicianship.  I paid the most amount of money I'd ever paid for a concert, so I'm still struggling as to whether or not it was worth it.  There were a few 11-year-old girls in the audience who probably saved up a year's worth of allowance to attend, but I'm sure they'll remember it forever.  At the very least, I've been inspired to look into the catalogs of the artists I'd never listened to before.  And the documentary has given me the itch to start recording music again.  In hindsight, yeah, I guess it was worth it.

ALAIN JOHANNES - 02.13.13 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (24 minutes)

SET -
A Trick with No Sleeve / Why / All My Friends / Hanging Tree / Reach Out

CHRIS GOSS & BRAD WILK - 02.13.13 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (25 minutes)

SET -
She Got Me (When She Got Her Dress On) / It's Shit / Time Slowing Down > Domino / The Blue Garden

LEE VING - 02.13.13 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (16 minutes)

SET -

Your Wife is Calling / I Love Livin' in the City / Gimme Some Action / Beef Bologna / Foreign Policy / I Don't Care About You

RICK NIELSEN & KRIST NOVOSELIC - 02.13.13 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (20 minutes)

SET -

Hello There > Stiff Competition / I Want You to Want Me > Ain't That a Shame / Surrender

RICK SPRINGFIELD - 02.13.13 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (21 minutes)

SET -

The Man That Never Was / I've Done Everything for You / Love is Alright Tonite / Love Somebody / Jessie's Girl

JOHN FOGERTY - 02.13.13 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (27 minutes)

SET -

Travelin' Band / Born on the Bayou / Centerfield / Keep on Chooglin' / Bad Moon Rising / Proud Mary / Fortunate Son

STEVIE NICKS - 02.13.13 - HAMMERSTEIN BALLROOM (32 minutes)

SET -

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around / You Can't Fix This / Dreams / Landslide / Gold Dust Woman

Eric Krasno & Friends Debut Several Songs at the Slipper Room

While you may know him as the guitarist for Soulive and Lettuce, Eric Krasno has also been making headway as a solo artist since 2010's Reminisce.  Last night at the Slipper Room, Eric and a few of his friends unleashed a set of new tunes in the intimate venue.

Starting later than the scheduled 8pm, Krasno took the stage with Warren Haynes' bassist Ron Johnson, the Blind Boys of Alabama's keyboardist Peter Levin, and the Dap-Kings' Eric Kalb on drums.  From the opening instrumental cut, the band locked in with each other, with Johnson taking care of the bottom, Levin chirping along on a stack of Nord Electro 2s, Kalb finding the pocket, and Kraz soloing, eyes closed, on top.  Permanent grins on Levin's and Kalb's faces remained for the entire set.  For the second number, a spirited cover of Ike & Tina Turner's "You Got What You Wanted," they were joined by Warren Haynes' vocalist Alecia Chakour and TAB's James Casey on sax, percussion, and vocals.  "This is our first time playing any of this stuff," admitted Krasno, taking lead vocals on the debut of "Jezebel."  The microphone he was using muddied the quality of his voice a bit, so that could take some of the blame, but it was clear he's a better guitar player than a singer.  He's definitely not bad, but in comparison to his astounding fretwork and Chekour's powerful vocals, it's evident why he usually enlists guest vocalists on his albums.

After "Blood from a Stone," which boasted a groovy wah-wah solo, Krasno announced to the crowd that he wanted to play "something familiar for you."  Ironically, their rendition of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me" ended up as the night's biggest letdown.  As I mentioned, Alecia Chekour had chops, but her boisterous, diva-like riffing drowned out the band.  The soulful supporting vocals by Casey could barely be heard amidst her showboating.  Thankfully, she was able to pull back a little by the time they turned in a funked-up version of Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home."  New song "Torture" was one of the best of the night, a blues romp with a solo that had Eric teetering on the edge of psychedelia. 

After an hour+ set, the original foursome returned to play "76," a scorcher from Reminisce.  Again, the instrumental bookend exemplified how well these cats could play together.  For the first time performing these songs, they were incredibly tight.  While JamBands.com had expected additional guests to sit in (I spotted Neal Evans in the back of the house.), it probably would've gotten too cramped on the narrow stage, already congested with just six.  Eric declared genuinely, "This is really fun.  I hope we're gonna keep doing this too."  Here's to hoping it's soon, and that Chakour shows a little more restraint next time.

Because most of the songs are new, any setlist help is appreciated.

ERIC KRASNO & FRIENDS - 02.06.13 - THE SLIPPER ROOM (1 hour, 14 minutes)

SET -
Instrumental* / You Got What You Wanted / Jezebel / Blood from a Stone* / You've Really Got a Hold on Me / He Can't Please You* / Can't Find My Way Home / Torture / Move Over / Unconditional Love*

ENCORE -
76

Grace Potter Covers the White Stripes to Incite a Riot in Baltimore

While I was watching Fun light up Radio City, I got a text from my brother: "I love her."  The object of his affection?  Grace Potter, who rocked Baltimore's Rams Head Live last night with her band, the Nocturnals.

Dressed in all black with a plunging neckline, the sexy ball of energy that is Grace Potter rocketed into "The Lion the Beast the Beat" to begin the show.  The setlist proceeded in a similar order to a lot of recent GPN shows, with "Ah Mary," "Goodbye Kiss," and "Never Go Back" following.  But it wasn't until Potter announced that it was an "all request set," that things really took off.  After an acoustic "Big White Gate," Grace and the Nocturnals began an a cappella rendition of "Hit the Road Jack" that served as the unifying theme for a "Loneliest Soul" medley.  Even when the song took a trip to "Funky Town," it found its way back to "Hit the Road Jack."  A high-energy tour de force of "Stop the Bus," both parts of "Nothing But the Water," and "Medicine" wrapped things up.

In case you hadn't heard, Baltimoreans were the first to adopt "Seven Nation Army" as a crowd chant as a way to applaud the Ravens: "Ohhh-O-O-O-O-Ohhhh-O!"  While it has now evolved into a worldwide sporting phenomenon, specifically at soccer matches, the cheer has permeated Maryland culture to the point where it has become an acceptable encore chant at non-Jack White concerts.  The audience "ohh-o-ohh"ed until Potter cartwheeled back onto the stage.  And then they played it.  In case you hadn't heard, the Baltimore Ravens are playing in the Super Bowl today, so the crowd went completely apeshit.

Previous Grace Potter & the Nocturnals reviews:
11.17.12 Beacon Theatre
09.22.12 Hersheypark Stadium, Farm Aid
06.14.12 Irving Plaza


GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS - 02.02.13 - RAMS HEAD LIVE

SET -
The Lion the Beast the Beat / Ah Mary / Goodbye Kiss / Never Go Back / 2:22 / The Divide / Tiny Light / Stars / Big White Gate / Hit the Road Jack > Loneliest Soul > Hit the Road Jack > Funky Town > Hit the Road Jack > Loneliest Soul / Keepsake / Runaway / Stop the Bus > Nothing But the Water (I) > Nothing But the Water (II) > Medicine

ENCORE -
Turntable / Seven Nation Army / Paris (Ooh La La)

Fun Play "Best Hometown Show" at Radio City Music Hall

Saturday night at Radio City Music Hall, pop-rockers, Fun, played their favorite show of the past year, and possibly their career.  The audience was just as taken, one fan even referring to the evening as "more than magical."  Fun were supported by Andrew McMahon, who played tunes from his previous bands, Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin, as well as "Learn to Dance" from a solo EP to be released this spring.

"New York City, this is a sight for sore eyes," announced Andrew McMahon as he took the stage promptly at 8:00.  Backed by a five-person band, he cruised into "Bruised" off of Everything in Transit.  One of my friends listened to a lot of Something Corporate in high school, and I like "The Lights & Buzz" by Jack's Mannequin, but I've never been into McMahon.  His voice has always annoyed me, and his chord progressions usually reminded me of Christian rock.  Having said that, he wasn't horrible.  His enthusiasm was really his selling point, especially on "Keep Rising," where he could barely stay seated at his keyboard.  The song was left off of the second Jack's album, hindsight allowing him to realize, "Holy shit! Why didn't I put that on the record?"  The song found new life as a bonus track on the Best Buy version of People & Things, but McMahon encouraged the crowd to illegally download the song "'cause you're just stealing from a record company I don't work for anymore." 

I saw Fun three times last year: once in a fire code violation, once in a small Brooklyn club, and once on an aircraft carrier.  But this was Radio City Music Hall, home of the Christmas Spectacular.  And sold-out.  They'd have to do more than just douse us in confetti.  They'd have to pull out all the stops.  As soon as the lights went down, we knew they were aiming big.  Sheer screens dropped from the proscenium, and "FUN." was projected in lights across it.  As the intro music soared, the font increased in size, creating a 3-D effect.  The curtain screens shot upwards as the band launched into "Out on the Town," the bonus track (Can it really be called a bonus track if it's on every version of the album?) from Some Nights.  The charging "One Foot" followed, complete with trumpet blasts from Andrew Dost and saxophone squeals from Emily Moore, sporting a platinum blond coiffure (Perhaps to celebrate the day's news of Some Nights going Platinum?).  During "All the Pretty Girls," the mirrored backdrop lit up as a cityscape with song titles masquerading as neon signs.  A subway train emblazoned "Out on the Town" rolled along on the screen in front of the drum riser, and "Barlights" floated by on a blimp across the five monitors that framed the stage.

"How the fuck did we get here?" laughed Nate Ruess following "Why Am I the One."  "Holy shit.  I'm gonna have the best fucking show of my life; that's for sure.  Why don't you guys do the same, alright?"  A live feed of crowd shots appeared on the backdrop for "At Least I'm Not as Sad," which gave off a sort of cheesy "kiss cam" Jumbotron vibe, but when Nate sweetly shared a seat at the keys with Dost for the song's conclusion, we'd all but forgotten about it.  "All Alone" wasn't as good as usual, but they segued into a fantastic "It Gets Better," heaped with vocal and instrumental flourishes.  When he came to the line "Not quite enough cigarettes to calm me down," Nate triumphantly substituted, "I don't smoke cigarettes anymore!"

When I saw Steel Train's last show, I mentioned that I hoped Jack Antonoff would not forget what a gifted guitarist he is.  If his vicious intro to "Barlights" was any indication, he hasn't forgotten.  Nate interrupted the song briefly to reveal that he wrote it during his move from Arizona to NYC, and again to say, "I think we can make this the loudest Radio City's ever been," before leading the audience through the "I feel alive" section of the tune.  The song also featured an extended drum solo from Antonoff and Will Noon.  

After the lyrics to "All Alright" were projected karaoke-style in a myriad of ways, the three songwriting members were left on the stage.  Jack commented on how far they've come in the last decade: "Ten years ago, Andrew was into dumpster-diving, Nate was into carbs, and I was into pot."  Nate added that while he still has a hard time growing facial hair, he has no problem sprouting it on his lower back.  He explained his current shaving regimen as randomly hitting his face with a razor to achieve some sort of 5 o'clock shadow, to which Antonoff chimed in, "You guys can't see up close. It's like Mickey Rourke meets a young boy. And I mean that in the best way possible.  In the sexiest way."  The trio performed "The Gambler" in tribute to their families and friends who have supported them over the years.

Arguably the biggest surprise of the night came after "Carry On," when the band performed a "new old song" called "What the Fuck."  Although Fun played it a handful of times in 2010, the multi-part song has been mostly a rarity.  They closed the set with an obvious choice, "We Are Young," but the video of slow-motion fire consuming the stage was pretty astonishing.

The band returned three minutes later, this time with Jack, Andrew, and Nate in customized New York jerseys (For those interested, Jack was #2, Andrew was #7, and Nate was their product, #14.).  "Some Nights" was awesome.  Jack's guitar was scintillating, but the real treat was watching Nate, who had already covered every inch of the stage during the show, running all the way up the tiers on the side of the theatre to sing to the fans in the balcony.  "Stars" drifted in seamlessly from the remnants of "Some Nights," with Nate adding the "Don't you wish we could play in the snow" section, appropriate to the weather outside.

The twinkling gold lights remained at the song's end, and we clapped for the band to return once more.  They reemerged after a two-minute break, with Nate conceding, "I guess we've got no choice but to do another song."  A huge smile on his face, he gushed, "This is the best hometown show that anyone could ask for," before they capped things off with "You Can't Always Get What You Want."  It may have seemed a hypocritical choice, considering most of the crowd had such a marvelous time.  Unfortunately, my seat was directly in front of some tone-deaf fuck, who insisted on hissing along to every song.  The sole moment of relief came from "What the Fuck" because he didn't know the words.  I just don't understand why you'd go to a concert to sing louder than the artist onstage.  I wish more people could recognize their vocal limits and not hinder the experience of those around them.  Fun put on a great fucking show.  The guy behind me did not.

ANDREW MCMAHON - 02.02.13 - RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL (45 minutes)

SET -
Bruised / I Woke Up in a Car / The Resolution / Swim / Learn to Dance / Holiday from Real / The Astronaut / Keep Rising / La La Lie / Dark Blue

FUN - 02.02.13 - RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL (1 hour, 33 minutes)

SET -
Out on the Town / One Foot / All the Pretty Girls / Why Am I the One / At Least I'm Not as Sad (as I Used to Be) / All Alone > It Gets Better / Barlights / All Alright / The Gambler / Carry On / What the Fuck / We Are Young

ENCORE I -
Some Nights > Stars

ENCORE II -
You Can't Always Get What You Want

Beat Radio Covers Robyn at Pete's Candy Store

Beat Radio's new album Hard Times, Go! drops on the 19th (though you can buy it now on Bandcamp), and last night at Pete's Candy Store, fans were treated to batch of the new tunes, some old favorites, and a cover of Robyn's "With Every Heartbeat."  When I arrived at Pete's, the bar was bustling.  I squeezed my way into the train car-styled back room, and found myself in the midst of a poetry reading.  The final poet was reading from his book of verses from the point of view of a schizophrenic man, but I found it vapid, considering the author didn't know his character well enough to know where he was or what he was doing.

The poets cleared out after hawking their books, but they should've stuck around.  After soundchecking with a bit of "Golden Age," Brian Sendrowitz a.k.a. Beat Radio took the stage with his guitar.  Beginning with "Days Like Diamonds" from the new album, he moved onto a cover of Robyn's "With Every Heartbeat."  Sendrowitz has admitted that the new album was directly inspired by the Swedish pop singer's Body Talk, so this was more of a loving tribute than a hipster joke.  He then revealed "Chasing a Phantom" was written after watching an episode of Mad Men.

"So my drummer Brian's gonna have a baby.  Well, his wife's gonna have a baby momentarily, so he's not here," Sendrowitz said before inviting Pete Oberg to join him on synth for the single, "Hurricanes, XO."  "This one's kinda sad and depressing," Brian offered, teasing Hank Williams' "There's a Tear in My Beer" preceding one of my favorites, "Stars Collided in Our Heart."  To introduce "Dreaming Wide Awake," he began telling the story of its germination in helping to move his sister-in-law upstate, but was interrupted from a yell in the back.  "Incest!" the guy shouted.  Confused, Sendrowitz asked, "What?"  "You guys need a drummer?" the intruder proposed.  Brian shrugged it off, continuing, "I'm dedicating it to my sister-in-law because it would be a nice thing to do, until things got weird."  Laughs from the crowd.  "Awkward for life. That's our motto," he said, starting into a more subdued version of the song than on the album.  Sendrowitz has been busy recording an acoustic companion to the album for its Kickstarter sponsors, which has been somewhat of a surreal experience for him.  "It's like in 2004, if I'd decided to go in the alternate direction. It feels like I'm living that now," he remarked.  Expecting another HTG track, I was pleasantly surprised to hear heartfelt oldie "Teenage Anthem for the Drunken Boat."  The song references both "Don't Stop Believin'" and "More Than a Feeling" in its lyrics, and with a smile, Brian repeated the "More than a feeling" line in the style of Boston.

There is a definite poetry in Beat Radio's words.  I first saw them perform at the Bell House in 2009 when they opened for the Mugs.  I had slept only an hour the previous night, and was nodding in and out of sleep throughout the performance, but some of those words found their way into my sleepyhead.  I gained even more respect for Sendrowitz after the show, when he stopped chatting with the pretty girls surrounding him in order to get a CD for me.  (I realize now that he was probably married at the time, so it wasn't that big of a deal.)  That concert was my last in New York before I moved to California that year.  It was actually in California, on the lawn of the Brand Library in Glendale, where I really connected to Beat Radio, listening to The Great Big Sea on my iPod, the theme of a romanticized past striking a chord.  Though I don't listen to the album often, I pull it out during the emotional times when I need it.

Hard Times, Go! is a darker album than the previous Beat Radio records.  In earlier efforts, the blips, bloops, and loops of the instrumentation helped to uplift Brian's musings on failed relationships and nostalgia to a point where they never seemed permanent.  He'd learn to love again and lose again, a vicious cycle, but a cycle with some optimism.  Despite the Robyn influence, the new LP is decidedly less electronic, and the lyrics are decidedly more adult, infused with the complications brought on by both the dissolution of the band and money problems.   Sendrowitz, unlike the ambitious, yet spurious poet, knows where his POV is coming from.

So what prevents the album from being a complete dirge?  The hope in Brian's vocals.  Sendrowitz is not technically a great singer, but he's an honest singer.  When his voice wavers, you excuse him because of the excellent songwriting, sort of like Bob Dylan.  Maybe that's not an accurate analogy because Dylan is obviously a better lyricist, and Brian is a better singer.  Jeff Mangum might be a better comparison.  Be that as it may, I think he should have started the show with Pete on keys.  The guitar and synth harmonized to complement Brian's vocals nicely, so if he had put that portion upfront, he could've then stripped it down to be even more honest and intimate.  It might've even kept around some poets who could've initially been turned off by another warbling guy with an acoustic guitar.

BEAT RADIO - 02.01.13 - PETE'S CANDY STORE (33 minutes, 18 seconds)

SOUNDCHECK -
Golden Age (incomplete)

SET -
Days Like Diamonds / With Every Heartbeat / Chasing a Phantom / Hurricanes, XO / Golden Age / There's a Tear in My Beer (tease) > Stars Collided in Our Hearts / Dreaming Wide Awake / Teenage Anthem for the Drunken Boat