Grouplove

 After the devastation of Hurricane Sandy and with power just beginning to return to lower Manhattan, some 3000 NY'ers had a chance to have some fun tonight.

Grouplove at Terminal 5

Friday, November 2nd 2012

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The Killers - Live on Letterman (Finally!)

Remember that show we went to about a month ago?  Well, they FINALLY put the videos online!

You can catch glimpses of Brian (he seems to stand out more than I), and myself occasionally...but watch The Killers' performance of "Human" and around 1:50 (clip) or 32:19 (full show) you'll get a good look at us.




I had commented on how lame the audience was, and I'm thinking the reason we even got a close up was that we were the only ones showing signs of life and having fun in the area we were in.  Pause the video, and you'll see the bored-looking folks around us.  The only pearly whites you see are Brian's, the girl's on my right, and mine.

Full show:



link to The Killers performance via Live on Letterman

The magic continues...

On Monday, September 17th, I got the following email message:

"Congratulations! You have won yourself a ticket, as well as a +1 to see

The Killers on "Live on Letterman" this WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th."

Can't believe 2 nights in a row in the same city!!  Pretty cool especially since we've never seen them in the same venue twice.

This one takes place at the Ed Sullivan Theater and yet again is being recorded for a live webcast - crazy!

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Magic Soaking My Spine

Devastated not being able to see The Killers perform at the relatively small Webster Hall in July due to being in Sea Isle City, which would have been the first time since living in Boston that we would have seen them locally, I was ecstatic to hear that they would be performing again in the area!


Getting tickets these days is just absolutely ridiculous, with close to zero chance of buying them when they go on sale to the general public via Ticketmaster or Live Nation -- it's truly frustrating, and a way to avoid this is to have mandatory "will call" tickets.  Luckily, I managed to get such Presale tickets to their show at the Paradise Theater in the Bronx on Tuesday, September 18th which just happens to be the day their new album Battle Born drops.

AND it's going to be a live webcast directed by Werner Herzog! Wow, this should be interesting...

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Hellogoodbye

Wednesday, February 9th 2011:

Highline Ballroom - the smallest venue we've been to so far in NYC

I knew there would be three opening bands for Hellogoodbye, so we didn't rush dinner...we missed out on Now, Now Every Children and You, Me and Everyone We Know (don't quiet know what type of music we missed out on, but I guess I'll look them up and take a listen...) but I'm certainly glad we got there in time to hear Gold Motel, such happy, boppy-type, summertime music. Definitely a good sound to brighten your day, especially with the winter we're having...seems just only this past week that we've seen the sun more often than every four days.

After the set, I went to the merch table (why do they only sell men sizes??!) and the shirt I wanted was only in large, two left, so I settled for another, plus a CD. At the end of the night, I complimented the lead singer, Greta Morgan, on a great set...if only I had a sharpie on me, I would have asked her to sign my CD. When onstage from a distance, Greta looked like Amy Adams...

So, this would be our third time seeing Hellogoodbye, but just finding out about the show last week didn't give us enough time to listen to the new album that dropped in November. I love their banter and stage presence - you know they're having fun no matter what's going on in the audience. The lead singer, Forrest Klein, calls out his fellow bandmates that are "better" looking than him and jokes that they have to go...while his not quite as good looking band mate could stay. I thought that the bass player seemed full of himself (he was one of the "better" looking ones) and during most of the songs would have his back to the audience and face the amp instead - that was rather annoying. I prefer to see musicians just rock out and show off their skills...

Compared to their show at Avalon, this crowd just didn't seem that into it, aside from a couple of enthusiastic fans near us - this one burly guy went nuts the whole time, and called Forrest's name out loud, and Forrest is like, "how do you know my name?" I wish everyone had the same enthusiasm as burly guy...he's in the video below with his hands up...

1. Finding Something To Do

2. Would It Kill You

3. Getting Old

4. Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn

5. When We First Kissed

6. Baby Its Fact

7. You Sleep Alone

8. Coppertone

9. Dear Jamie...Sincerely Me

10. When We First Met

11. Something You Misplaced

Encore:

12. The Thoughts That Give Me The Creeps

13. Here In Your Arms

If it was due to my recording "Here in Your Arms" or standing on a step stool or being surrounded by dead fish, I wish I didn't hold back my urge to dance freely since it's such a fun song...

they are so silly - love their enthusiasm and how they mixed in "Digital Love" by Daft Punk...awesome!

when Forrest says "Calm down!" he was either making fun of the non-craziness going on or he had a totally different pov of the audience than I did...

Neon Trees

Friday, January 14th 2011:

Great show to break in the new year...

Find Vienna...caught the last couple songs of their set, but I was a bit more preoccupied at the merch table (Neon Trees shirts were sold out in my size!) and then trying to find a good spot, so their music unfortunately kinda went in one ear and out the other.

Not the same sitchu with Val Emmich, since we did find a spot near the stage (pretty much near the same spot as the Airborne Toxic Event and Vampire Weekend shows). Really digged the music and his bass/baritone voice. Very melodic. I couldn't help but compare his voice to The National's Matt Berninger's since "Bloodbuzz Ohio" had been on the airwaves earlier. Later at the merch table, I got a t-shirt and a signed CD, complimented him on his set, and then asked him who his major influences are. His reply was "so many" and then turned the question back at me, who I thought his were - yikes! put on the spot, and after a couple seconds later, not surprisingly, The National came out. His response was rather positive, so I'm hoping that it was a compliment for him :)

Now, having brought my step stool instead of my concert boots, I was in little to no danger of anyone blocking my view, BUT I was a bit self-conscious since I didn't know all the words, nor all the songs, so I even slouched a tad when I felt like I was exposed to the audience.

Had no idea how flamboyantly in your face Neon Tree's leader singer, Tyler Glenn, would be. That plus my insecurity made it somewhat intimidating, but the performance felt raw and energetic and definitely hands up. Mohawks were definitely in attendance that night. It wasn't hard to get into the upbeat music...

1. Sins of My Youth - great opening song, pumped up everyone

2. Love and Affection

3. Girls and Boys in School

4. Calling My Name

5. In the Next Room

6. Death of You and Me

the next 3 songs being my favorites, and most well-known, got clumped together

7. Your Surrender

8. Animal

9. 1983

10. Our War

Encore:

11. Never Tear Us Apart (INXS cover) - surprising addition to the set

12. Farther Down

I actually thought the encore fell a little flat since it ended the show on not quite as high energy as one would normally expect. Glenn even left the stage before the music ended, and according to someone near me, he went to the green room? and watched the end from the window.

"You didn't even give them a good bang at the end of songs...to tell them when to clap."

- Antonio Salieri, Amadeus

Really would have liked that big bang...

Brian yet again did not have the greatest experience, getting turned off by all the tweens making out and sometimes even shoving into him in the process. It was an interesting social dynamic - go to a concert and make out the entire time...I guess it's like going to the movies and making out in the back row, but being more public about it...

Florence and the Machine

Tuesday, December 14th 2010:

Aah, Irving Plaza...the last time I was here was...um, maybe an industry (as in advertising) party with Chris Isaak back in 1999? So long ago, I can't remember - the shows back then kinda blend together in terms of venue...

And I certainly forgot how small the venue is. At the last minute, I decided not to go with my usual concert boots, and we pretty much hung out in the back for most of the show since again, the place was packed and from our previous concert experience at Hammerstein, we opted to avoid being near people...which worked nicely for this show.

happy Brian

Civil Twilight opened the show and was already onstage when we got there. Cool t shirts again, but the music, at least the part of the set we heard, was a bit too somber for my taste.

That's Vincent D'Onofrio, who announces that this is his kids' first concert, and he's very excited to see the show. 101.9 RXP DJ Leslie Fram on the left

101.9 RXP DJ Matt Pinfield

Florence and the Machine - her 60's-style flowing dress, which illuminated beautifully when backlit. Voice was just as powerful and gorgeous live. Great Britain's Janis Joplin...

This is taken NOT facing the stage: monitor above the bar and the mirror behind the bar - both gave a nice view of what we couldn't really see, but luckily the acoustics were still good

1. Howl

2. Drumming Song

3. My Boy Builds Coffins

4. Girl With One Eye

5. Cosmic Love

6. Blinding

7. I'm Not Calling You A Liar

8. Between Two Lungs

9. You've Got the Love (The Source cover)

10. Strangeness & Charm

11. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

Encore:

12. Heavy in Your Arms

13. Kiss With a Fist

14. Dog Days Are Over

Review

Brandon Flowers

Thursday, December 2nd 2010:

Woo hoo! Another concert in the cit-tay...yes, I really need a slush fund for concerts...

Last time we were here was the April 2000 Smashing Pumpkins show, the one weeks before they announced that they were breaking up. And look-y here, Brian's wearing his Pumpkins shirt ala Halloween costume...

We were introduced to the great sounds of the band Transfer (I actually had to look them up since I couldn't hear who they were...) which would have been just peachy if it hadn't been for the group of German? girls shoving me pretty much the whole set...grrrr!! And of course, probably one of the tallest people there with the biggest afro - don't get me wrong, her hair was ridiculously awesome, but she was like 6'3" or so...concert boots to the rescue.

After the set was over, we didn't hesitate to move away from that section, unfortunately just to find ourselves next to even bigger a**holes (drunk women, mosh pit-mentality spanish-speaking men...). We didn't discover this until after Brandon Flowers comes out onstage. Since I'm the one taking/dragging Brian to shows, I try to make sure he's having a good time, and like Mumford, big asses just happened to be near us - can't escape them for some reason.

In any case, we try to enjoy the show...

1. On the Floor 


2. Crossfire

3. Magdalena 


4. Bette Davis Eyes 
(Kim Carnes cover) - this was just lovely...

5. Jilted Lovers & Broken Hearts 


6. Welcome To Fabulous Las Vegas 


7. Was It Something I Said? 


8. Hard Enough 


9. Losing Touch 
(The Killers cover)

10. Swallow It 


11. Playing With Fire 


Encore:

12. Read My Mind 
(The Killers cover) (partial)

13. Only the Young 


14. Mr. Brightside (Jacques Lu Cont Remix) 
(The Killers cover)

I pretty much lost it during the encore...Read My Mind AND Mr. Brightside remix?! loved it!!!

Review on Spinner.com

Review on Bestnewbands.com

Mumford and Sons

Tuesday, November 16th 2010:

Yet another great concert! minus the behemoth that pretty much annoyed the hell out of Brian and Cliff whom we treated tickets to the show $$$ (yup, not face value this time). Terminal 5 certainly over sells their tickets because that place was beyond packed, with absolutely no room to move or even to retreat to the back - every inch was filled with a body. If possible, avoid going there or at least get there early and secure a spot on the balcony...

wee burgers!

In no rush from our dinner stop at Lincoln Park, we did miss King Charles, and when they came out on stage later, I wished we did get a chance to witness, let alone hear, their set...(see photo below). Cadillac Sky definitely warmed the audience up for a great night of folk music.

Good thing I was armed with my concert boots, for there was no way we were going to get close to the stage, and as usual, we attract the tallest people in the venue, so lots of searching for the best view, usually shifting back and forth to see the stage through people's heads.

Cadillac Sky with Marcus Mumford on drums

tidbit of "Sigh No More" opener

1. Sigh No More

2. Roll Away Your Stone

3. Winter Winds

4. White Blank Page

5. Below My Feet

6. Timshel

7. Gave You All

8. Little Lion Man

the behemoth is the large guy jumping up and down with dark brown curly hair around the :20s mark

9. Lover of the Light

10. Thistle & Weeds

11. Broken Crown

12. Awake My Soul

13. Feel the Tide

14. Dust Bowl

Mumford & Sons joined by Cadillac Sky

Mumford & Sons joined by Cadillac Sky AND King Charles

Encore:

15. Sister

16. Colab (s) with KC and CS

17. The Cave

I've never really been great with reviews, so here are links for more thoughts, photos and videos:

brooklyn vegan

nytimes

Phoenix at MSG - Inaugural concert!

Wednesday, October 20th 2010:

After the craziness of moving and trying to settle down, we had such a blast at our very first concert as NYC area residents. And I bought the tickets just one week earlier on ticketmaster, at face value no less :)


a quick bite to eat at Lenny's


we missed the Wavves :( but we caught the Dirty Projectors - I liked just a couple of their songs but bought a t-shirt anyways since I thought the design was pretty cool.


a huge sheet was released and floated above the pit area before the band came out



1. Lisztomania

2. Lasso 

3. Long Distance Call

4. Fences

5. Girlfriend 

6. Armistice 

7. North 

8. Love Like a Sunset 

9. Run Run Run

10. Rally 

11. Rome 

12. Funky Squaredance



We certainly were in for a special treat, for none other than Daft Punk joins them on stage during the encore!!! wow, that was beyond cool...

Encore:
13. Honeymoon 

14. La Fille aux cheveux clairs 
(Johnny Hallyday cover)

Encore 2:
15. If I Ever Feel Better 

16. Around the World / Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger 
(with Daft Punk)



Close Encounters of the Third Kind interlude...




17. 1901 
(with Daft Punk)








Here's a much better write-up and POV of the show...with videos!