Radiohead at the Santa Barbara Bowl

I am sure you watched the webcast. Everyone was standing at Santa Barbara Bowl and nobody was talking during the show.

Radiohead at the Santa Barbara Bowl setlist (8/28/08)
"Reckoner"
"Optimistic"
"There There"
"15 Step"
"All I Need"
"Nude"
"Talk Show Host"
"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
"The Gloaming"
"Morning Bell"
"The National Anthem"
"Faust Arp"
"No Surprises"
"Jigsaw Falling Into Place"
"The Bends"
"Karma Police"
"Bodysnatchers"
Encore 1:
"Cymbal Rush"
"House of Cards"
"Paranoid Android"
"Go Slowly"
"Everything In Its Right Place"
Encore 2:
"Videotape"
"Lucky"
"Idioteque"

Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl (8/25/08)

This night was significantly better. Radiohead garners immense respect for tweaking and switching up their setlist on a nightly basis. The constant shaking of "Reckoner" immediately stirred everyone from their seats. I specifically mentioned "Optimistic" in my review of the first night at the Hollywood Bowl in hopes they would play it on the second night. When I saw Thom Yorke (Vocals/Guitars/Keyboards) was handed his Fender Jazzmaster, I knew there was a chance. Red lights bathed the stage as the shimmering chords of "Optimistic" brilliantly rang through the bowl. The crowd seemed to really be alive at this point.

Jonny Greenwood (Guitars/Keyboards) immediately stepped behind the Rhodes keyboard for the melodious notes of "All I Need" as his brother Colin Greenwood (Bass) had his own keyboard for the bass lines while Thom was behind a piano. I failed to mention in my prior review that Jonny alternated between his violin bow guitar parts and the French Connection keyboard for some spooky theramin sounds to "Pyramid Song". Radiohead had an intense light show throughout the night but I particularily emjoyed the candlelight flickering during "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" and the simulated rain storm during "The Gloaming". Thom also had some extra hollow distortion on his vocals for "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi" as Ed O'Brien (Guitars) added his trademark backing vocals.

"Talk Show Host" was a pleasant surprise as it is a live favorite with its simulated mellotron samples. Thom and Jonny tackled "Faust Arp" acoustically but threw me off again when they did "Tell Me Why" by Neil Young. "No Surprises" sounds like a glorious musical toy box as the guy standing next to me was singing way to loud. "The Bends" is a true Hollywood Bowl rocker and a perfect selection as the lyrics of "Where do we go from here?" simmered with irony. I got another spine tingling concert moment during "Bodysnatchers" as it seemed to be performed even faster compared to the previous night.

It seemed like they were only on stage for 20 minutes as they left the stage for a short break. Radiohead returned with "House of Cards" and another gem from the past with "Planet Telex". "Go Slowly" was another nice surprise as it is featured on my bonus disc of the In Rainbows box set. "Fake Plastic Trees" solidified this particular night as one of my more memorable Radiohead concert experiences. Thom came out by himself to tackle "Cymbal Rush" from his solo album which had him stop the song momentarily because he had forgotten how the song went. "Karma Police" brought the girl in front of me to tears as my whole section proceeded to sing along. "Idioteque" served as the knockout punch. I am now regretting I didn't get a ticket for San Diego but was at least smart enough to get tickets for the Santa Barbara Bowl.


Radiohead setlist at the Hollywood Bowl (8/25/08)
"Reckoner"
"Optimistic"
"There There"
"15 Step"
"All I Need"
"Pyramid Song"
"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
"The Gloaming"
"Videotape"
"Talk Show Host"
"Faust Arp"
"Tell Me Why" (Neil Young)"
"No Surprises"
"Jigsaw Falling Into Place"
"The Bends"
"The National Anthem"
"Nude"
"Bodysnatchers"

Encore 1:
"House of Cards"
"Planet Telex"
"Go Slowly"
"Fake Plastic Trees"
"True Love Waits (Tease)"
"Everything In Its Right Place"

Encore 2:
"Cymbal Rush"
"Karma Police"
"Idioteque"

Radiohead at the Hollywood Bowl (8/24/08)

I missed Radiohead in the really early days but did manage to score a ticket to the Kid A tour at the Greek Theater in October 2000. The show at the Greek was mindblowing as I will never forget hearing "Optimistic" and "Just". I also remembered that people were in the trees in the very back of the venue. It was one of the few shows that the security guards flashed a black light on the back of the ticket to check for a specific hologram. I have caught Radiohead every time they have played Los Angeles since 2000 and managed to work in both San Diego stops on the last tour.

The Radiohead show had sold out in minutes and I was really surprised they didn't add a third show. A voluminous amount of people nervously waited outside the venue holding up a finger or two in hopes that someone had an extra ticket. The amount of people outside the venue could have easily been a thousand or more either trying to get an extra ticket or to listen to the show. I unfortunately missed Liars due to the traffic but I am sure Angus put on a stellar show judging by how intense their show was at the El Rey earlier this year.

A dimming of the house lights caused an uproar from the max capacity crowd. My section did not stand up like I expected and I got a text from one of my friends saying they were surprised that everyone wasn't standing. "15 Step" was all I needed to hear to get me out of my chair as I kept a close eye on Jonny Greenwood (Guitars/Keyboards). Jonny tossed in a short but sweet abstract delay soaked noise burst near the end of the song. When the roadies came out with some extra drums, I immediately knew it was time for "There,There" as Thom Yorke (Vocals/Keyboards/Guitars) had a vintage Gibson Hollowbody dialed in with a gritty tone. A Rhodes Keyboard Piano was rolled out for Thom as he delicately tapped the out the haunting notes to "Morning Bell". Jonny would later position himself behind the Rhodes for "All I Need" as Thom was seated in front of a piano.

Jonny would later grab a violin bow to apply to his guitar for some alien textures before switching over to his custom Analogue Systems rack of modular synthesizers and his French Connection. Radiohead went introspective with a trio of slower songs before cranking up the intensity with a schizophrenic version of "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi". Phil Selway (Drums) was a time keeping machine in the background never missing a beat while Colin Greenwood couldn't stop smiling the whole time on stage as he would enthusiastically wave hello to the crowd.

"The Nation Anthem" was prefaced with its usual random radio dialogue interspersed with the gigantic roaring Colin bass line. I got a rare spine tingle during the ending of the song due to its chaotic noisy ending. Jonny and Thom tackled "Faust Arp" acoustically which sounded spot on. Jonny would later really cut loose for "Jigsaw Falling Into Place" as the song builds and later implodes. "Idioteque" got a large number of people out of their seats with its heavy atmospheric synthesizers and feverish drums. "Bodysnatchers" separated the mind from the body in that your mind was blown and you were probably dancing.

"Videotape" still sounds similar to the opening piano riff from "The Young and the Restless" from the 1980s. I give you proof here. "Paranoid Android" was another crowd favorite with Ed and Jonny methodically deploying the loud guitar noise bursts of the song. Radiohead did not miss a note until Thom flubbed his part in "Street Spirit(Fade Out)" which he commented with "Bollocks". It was nice to see that Radiohead was actually human. I still remember hearing the intro of "House of Cards" a billion times during the NBA playoffs as it was included in the commercials. The second encore consisted of "Lucky" and "Everything In Its Right Place". Ed and Jonny were kneeling in front of their pedal boards chopping up samples of Thom's voice and inserting Thom's voice back into the song as Thom rose from his Rhodes keyboard and waved goodbye to the crowd. It was a picturesque night for a Radiohead show and made me thankful to be able to catch the show again on Monday.

Radiohead setlist at the Hollywood Bowl (8/24/08)
"15 Step"
"There There"
"Morning Bell"
"All I Need"
"Pyramid Song"
"Nude"
"Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
"The Gloaming"
"The National Anthem"
"A Wolf At The Door"
"Faust Arp"
"Exit Music (For A Film)"
"Jigsaw Falling Into Place"
"Idioteque"
"Climbing Up The Walls"
"Bodysnatchers"
"How To Disappear Completely"

Encore:
"Videotape"
"Paranoid Android"
"Dollars And Cents"
"Street Spirit(Fade Out)"
"Reckoner"

Encore 2:
"House of Cards"
"Lucky"
"Everything In Its Right Place"

Nine Inch Nails and A Place To Bury Strangers at the Toyota Center

I boarded a flight from Oklahoma to Houston to continue my mini vacation of Nine Inch Nails and A Place To Bury Strangers. The Oklahoma show set the bar very high but was cleared as both bands put together phenomenal performances to a maximium capacity audience at the Toyota Center.


A Place To Bury Strangers




Jspace (Drums) pounded his kick drum for the opening of "Gimme Acid" as the guitar feedback started to swirl and build up in the background. The mix for A Place To Bury Strangers was dialed in and filled the Toyota Center. Jono Mofo (Bass) had his Gibson Thunderbird swimming in subsonic frequencies, as it is hard to believe three people could create such surgically precise noise. The evil surf guitar riff of "Deadbeat" is hypnotic as the guitar tones bounce back and forth between wire tight and eardrum shattering fuzz. I know I have mentioned that I have quite a stash of Death By Audio pedals in my collection of pedals but I really need to have Oliver make me an Armageddon which is a pedal containing a set of custom filters. Unfortunately, the popularity of A Place To Bury Strangers has prevented Oliver from taking custom orders. A Place To Bury Strangers will be back in October with the Dandy Warhols at the Wiltern.

Nine Inch Nails





The entire two hour performance of Nine Inch Nails has so many nuances and visual/auditory highlights that it warrants repeated viewings. I expected a similar setlist every night but was happy to have three different songs worked into the set.

Selections from The Slip started off the evening at a driving pace. "Letting You" served as a call to arms as the lights would simultaneously violently flare with the roaring synthesizer bass line. The Houston crowd was rowdy and ready for a long night of moshing and crowd surfing. Josh Freese (Drums) started to pound out the hi hat shuffle of "Discipline" as the Alessandro Cortini (Keyboards) triggered the dark synthesizer patch. Everyone went bonkers for "March Of The Pigs" as security had a difficult time managing all the crowd surfers. The crowd warmly received the transition of "The Frail" to "The Wretched" as I was expecting "Closer".

"Gave Up" is already a dramatically intense song but is taken to new heights with a bank of blaring red and blue lights that smothers the audience. I was still hoping for "The Great Destroyer" but couldn't complain when the electronic glitch of "The Warning" was played. "Vessel" also takes on a new life with various synth samples and beats surgically inserted into the song. Robin Finck (Guitars) donned his Danelectro baritone guitar for the deep rooted notes on "Ghosts 5". The song would later easily melt into xylophone heavy "Ghosts 6". "Ghosts 19" picks up the pace in the noise department as Trent would end the song with a solitary shaker that serves as a smooth transition to "Ghosts Piggy".

A large LED screen would drop as a live camera feed of a digitally distorted Trent Reznor was projected as he whispered the eerie vocals of "The Greater Good". One might think that it is prerecorded until you see Trent actually step out in front of the LED screen while one of the crew holds a video camera. "Wish" still sounds as vital as did when it was released back in the day. Robin went back to his guitar cab for a feedback drenched solo as his dreadlocks whipped around. I was in the seats for this particular show and really appreciated the visuals for "Terrible Lie" which projected the band in an outline of red on the large screens.

A short revisit to "Ghosts 31" which feature throbbing synthesizers and beehive swirling guitars as Justin had a Novation keyboard setup. "Only" conjured memories of Tron and the master control program with rapidly swirling visuals. "Head Like A Hole" brought the main set to a close as Trent sang the song without his Les Paul Guitar that he usually employs. "Echoplex" had a triple guitar attack from Justin, Trent and Robin that provided a wall of sound. "Reptile" was a sea of green crawling lights that upped the intensity level. An interesting visual of a gun morphed with a cross spoke volumes as Robin threw down an apocalyptic solo for "God Given". Houston was extremely quiet for "Hurt" and rivaled Oklahoma in respectful department. "In This Twilight" served as a spiritual cleansing to the catharsis of the whole evening as the visuals when from a scorched industrial demolished landscape to a rising sun. I wonder if there is any connection to this being an election year?

Nine Inch Nails setlist for the Toyota Center (8/16/2008)
"999,999"
"1,000,000"
"Letting you"
"Discipline"
"March of the pigs"
"Head down"
"The Frail"
"The Wretched"
"Closer"
"Gave up"
"The Warning"
"Vessel"
"Ghosts 5"
"Ghosts 6"
"Ghosts 19"
"Ghosts Piggy"
"The Greater Good"
"Wish"
"Terrible Lie"
"Survivalism"
"The Big Comedown"
"Ghosts 31"
"Only"
"Head Like a Hole"

Encore:
"Echoplex"
"Reptile"
"God Given"
"Hurt"
"In This Twilight"

Black Francis at the Detroit Bar

Black Francis blew minds at the Detroit Bar. Check out my review for OC Weekly here. The pictorial slideshow is here.

The Faint at the Henry Fonda Theater

Lab coat. Goggles. Dark synthesizers. If there was ever a band that fits the show review requirements for Amateur Chemist, it would be The Faint. Fasciinatiion is the latest effort from The Faint released on their own label blank.wav records that oozes and drips with synthesizers, glitchy electronic blips and bludgeoning beats.

Shy Child





The keytar is making a come back. Dragonforce, and Mute Math are just a few of the bands I have recently spotted rocking the keytar. Shy Child can be added to the list of keytar warriors as they rocked out with a synth heavy set as a two piece band. Sonically, I would venture to say it was as if No Age played keytars instead guitars. Pete Cafarella (Keytar/Vocals) wielded his wireless Roland AX7 like a weapon as it was connected to a Nord rack as he simultaneously played bass and lead. Shy Child is touring behind "Noise Won't Stop" which is an assault of synthesizers and drums. Check out "Drop The Phone" for a good example of their synthesizer madness.

Jaguar Love





The only information I knew about Jaguar Love was the members were formerly in Pretty Girls Make Graves and The Blood Brothers. Johnny Whitney (Vocals) was a furious ball of energy emoting his high pitched vocals in a fashion similar to such bands as Coheed & Cambria and Mars Volta. I did spot a Dave Smith Prophet and Nord Electro 2 in their keyboard setup but the songs were driven by the blaring guitars of Cody Votolato (Guitars). Jaguar Love is touring in support of their debut album Take Me To The Sea. Johnny's voice is so characteristic and unique that it also serves as a polarizer in that you either love it or hate it.

The Faint




The Faint took no prisoners from the moment they hit the stage. I was immediately lamenting the fact that I didn't have tickets to the next night at the Henry Fonda as they had sold out both nights. "Agenda Suicide" whipped the dance floor into an instant frenzy as Jacob Thiele (Keyboards) pounded out the sinister synth line on his Nord Lead 3. Todd Fink (Vocals) acted the part of a mad scientist as he frantically worked the stage with a sense of paranoia. "Dropkick The Punks" kicked you in the face with its fat round bass line as a slew of visuals raced across the screen enhanced by an intense flickering light show. "Forever Growing Centipedes" had the stage lit up in green lights augmented by a super heavy fuzz bass line. Swooning violin samples gave way to the crackle and pop of the furious hypnotic groove of "Desperate Guys". Todd would feverishly wave his microphone to add an organic tremolo effect to his vocals. The Faint took no prisoners from the moment they hit the stage. I was immediately lamenting the fact that I didn't have tickets to the next night at the Henry Fonda as they had sold out both nights. "Agenda Suicide" whipped the dance floor into an instant frenzy as Jacob Thiele (Keyboards) pounded out the sinister synth line on his Nord Lead 3. Todd Fink (Vocals) acted the part of a mad scientist as he frantically worked the stage with a sense of paranoia. "Dropkick The Punks" kicked you in the face with its fat round bass line as a slew of visuals raced across the screen enhanced by an intense flickering light show. "Forever Growing Centipedes" had the stage lit up in green lights augmented by a super heavy fuzz bass line. Swooning violin samples gave way to the crackle and pop of the furious hypnotic groove of "Desperate Guys". Todd would feverishly wave his microphone to add an organic tremolo effect to his vocals. Dapose (Guitars/Bass) and Joel Petersen (Bass/Guitars) alternated between guitars and bass throughout the night incorporating Fender Basses and a Fender Jagaur into the mix.





The heavy vocoder laced "The Conductor" dripped with seductive synth lines and heart racing drums by Clark Baechle (Drums). Jacob obliterated the stereotype of stagnant keyboard players as he was stationed directly in the middle of the stage dancing, clapping and singing along. I interviewed Jacob a few days before the concert and will post his interview soon. I thought The Faint had front loaded their set with good songs but when "Paranoiattack" started to pump throught the soundsystem and the crowd went bonkers. I even spotted a concertgoer on top of the PA system dancing along before the Henry Fonda security hastily waved them off. "The Geeks Were Right" was the next logical choice as the crowd continued to dance as the temperature in the Henry Fonda was above boiling. "Glass Danse" devastated as many of the fans in the balcony got up to dance as well as spilling into the aisles to get their groove on. This show ranks very high for the best use of synthesizers in a live setting.

Film School and The Pity Party at Spaceland

Some of my favorite Los Angeles based bands played together for a banner night at Spaceland. The number of effect pedals that collectively cluttered the stage on this particular night must have hit one hundred. I couldn't have been any happier.

The Meeting Places





I unfortunately missed the return showing for The Meeting Places at the Silverlake Lounge. I was excited that they were added to the bill with The Pity Party and Film School as their textural soundscapes started off the evening. I can only describe The Meeting Places as a cross between the song structures of Lush and noisy shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine. I have had a few discussions about guitar pedals with Scott Mcdonald (Guitars) and he impressed me with his use of Roger Mayer pedals. Chase Harris had an equally impressive setup as he had some Analog Man pedals in his arsenal. Their double Fender Jazzmaster attack was extremely effective as they worked through "Love Like The Movies". "Where'd You Go" filled all of Spaceland with ripples of dense reverb. The Meeting Places are currently working on new material and hopefully they will debut some new material next time I catch them.

The Pity Party






The Pity Party perservered. An unfortunate bicycle accident claimed the talented finger of M (Guitars/Vocals) who was bandaged and battered. Luckily, The Pity Party has a lot of friends in high places as they recruited Will from The Deadly Syndrome, Hiram from The Human Value and Jason 71 from Eskimohunter to pitch in sonic reinterruptations of the fractured songs of the Pity Party. "H.O.T.S" was an adrenaline pumping rocker as Heisenflei (Drums/Vocals) started off so fast that they started the song over again. Jason 71 added some interesting octaves to "Love Lies" to fill out the sound as M was stationed behind the microphone singing along. I enjoyed the reengineered versions of the songs and started to think that someone should orchestrate a cover show featuring a slew of Los Angeles bands. I implore you to visit the Pity Party myspace page and purchase their Orgy Porgy EP which should expedite the healing of M's finger.

Film School





Film School wrapped up another US tour with a hometown blow out at Spaceland. They have been touring since early July and were a finely tuned noise wrecking machine. I have come to the conclusion that after every time I see Film School it is my favorite show. My number of reviews for Film School is rapidly approaching the 20's as they wind down the touring cycle for Hideout. I was absolutely floored when Lorelei Plotczyk (Bass) played the descending bass line for "Harmed" which is one of the few songs I haven't heard live. "Sick Hipster Nursed By Suicide Girl" is still one of my favorite songs and drowns the listener in sound. Film School will head out to the UK with British Sea Power for a number of dates before they head back into the studio to work on the next record. I can easily testify that they have come a long way since I first saw them almost a year ago at Spaceland. I am sure they will dazzle the UK with their massive wall of sound. I can only hope that I get to hear their follow up to Hideout soon.