The Cure at the Cox Arena

My Southern California tour of The Cure came to a close with one final stop at the Cox Arena in San Diego. Since my photos from Santa Barbara were used in OC Weekly for my review of their Shrine Auditorium show, I was looking forward to offering both the photos and review of their San Diego on my site.

65daysofstatic





The instrumental bludgeoning sounds of 65daysofstatic continued to grow on me with each successive live show. It was tough for me to appreciate their noisy racket in Santa Barbara because they were playing in the direct sunlight. Their dark and foreboding tunes fared much better in the vast confines of the Cox Arena with minimal stage lighting. 65daysofstatic released a new EP entitled The Distant and Mechanised Glow of Eastern European Dance Parties which is a pulsating electronic whirlwind of synthesizers and programming. 65daysofstatic opted for some of their more metal tinged instrumental tunes for the crowd. I recommend you listen to "Retreat! Retreat!" which is from their album The Fall Of Math for a good representation of their sound.

The Cure


The epic lead off song from Disintegration, "Plainsong" sparkled as bright as the background stars projected against the towering screens behind The Cure. The Cox Arena was electric on this particular night as they stood and cheered throughout the nearly three hour set. The fluid guitar lines of "Prayers For Rain" poured over the audience and drenched everyone in sound as Simon Gallup (Bass) dialed up some jet engine flanging on his Gibson Thunderbird Bass. A screaming wah pedal lead was quickly backed by Simon's pulsating bass line as The Cure embarked on "The Walk".



Jason Cooper(Drums) showed off his drumming skills with the syncopated beats of "To Wish Impossible Things" with Simon's bass quietly creeping along in the background. The stuttering bass line of "Pictures of You" was hypnotic as Porl Thompson (Guitars) added coats of atmosphere with his 12 string guitar. It was a spine tingling moment as the cheers from the crowd were deafening after Robert completed his first verse. Robert Smith's songwriting skills have been well documented but his tremolo picking during "Lullaby" was strong enough for me to appreciate his guitar technique. "From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea" had Robert on his custom Schecter acoustic guitar as Porl shined with a wild shredding solo.



The Cure have been releasing new songs around the 13th of every month. "The Perfect Boy" is one of The Cure's new songs that I anxiously await as it is could have been included on Wish. "Hot Hot Hot!!!" had a loose almost funk feel to the song as Porl was frequently using his wah pedal. I already downloaded the new Cure song "The Only One" as it is an instant classic with its propelling bass line and shimmering guitar lines. "The Blood" was a nice surprise in the setlist with its seductive guitar lines as Robert had a nylon string guitar.



Another spine tingling moment of the show was the back to back wallop of "In Between Days" and "Just Like Heaven". The Cure didn't stop as they continued to play hit after hit. The windy visuals of "Jumping Someone Else's Train" perfectly fit the hyperactive bass line. Robert Smith used a glass slide to replicate the screams of "Lovecats". The multiple encores kept coming with "A Forest" perfectly capping the night. I have to give a lot of credit to the enthusiasm of the San Diego audience for making this the best of the three Cure shows that I saw.

The Cure setlist for San Diego at the Cox Arena (6/3/2008)
"Plainsong"
"Prayers For Rain"
"A Night Like This"
"The Walk"
"The End Of The World"
"Lovesong"
"To Wish Impossible Things"
"Pictures Of You"
"Lullaby"
"Fascination Street"
"From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea"
"The Perfect Boy"
"Hot Hot Hot!!!"
"The Only One"
"The Blood"
"Sleep When I'm Dead"
"Push"
"In Between Days"
"Just Like Heaven"
"Primary"
"Shake Dog Shake"
"The Baby Screams"
"One Hundred Years"
"Disintegration"
"Boys Don't Cry"
"Jumping Someone Else's Train"
"Grinding Halt"
"10.15 Saturday Night"
"Killing An Arab"
"The Lovecats"
"Let's Go To Bed"
"Freakshow"
"Close to me"
"Why can't I be you?"
"Play For Today"
"A Forest"

Swervedriver at the Henry Fonda Theater

My show options for Saturday were mind boggling. Some of the choices included The Cure at the Hollywood Bowl or I could hang out with my brother at Iron Maiden. I opted for the sonic bliss of Swervedriver, Film School and Xu Xu Fang. I was already sad that I missed the Swervedriver Casbah show but was ready for a sonic blast at the Henry Fonda Theater.

Xu Xu Fang







Xu Xu Fang have been on my radar for quite sometime but I have always managed to miss their shows due to conflicts. This was quite the introduction to the world of Xu Xu Fang as they filled up the stage with their dense sheets of noise along with billowing smoke. Xu Xu Fang crowded the stage with their trio of guitarists as they doled out portions of fuzzy guitars splattered against atmospheric keyboards. Xu Xu Fang played some selections from their EP The Mourning Son. "The Mourning Son" heavily droned as light Rhodes keyboard notes sprinkled across the song like chocolate sprinkles on a rich chocolate cake. "Good Times Have Gone Away" was a guitar tour de force that partially recalled My Bloody Valentine with an injection of The Velvet Underground. Xu Xu Fang will be at the Viper Room on June 16th with the Human Value and it will be intense.


Film School






Film School never sounded better. I think anyone who was in attendance would agree that the Henry Fonda was dialed in as the auditory clarity for Film School was top notch. The icy chill of the keyboards from Jason Ruck paired with James Smith's steady drumming knocked out any audience members who were unaware of the sonic storm that Film School churns out. "Compare" and "Lectric" were some of the many highlights of their set with a severe knockout punch administered in the form of "He's A Deep Deep Lake". Greg Bertens (Vocals/Guitars) was wildly swinging his Fender Guitar around the stage as Dave Dupuis (Guitars) was enjoying the large stage area by jumping around. Film School did a triumphant wave to the crowd at the end of their set and smiled knowing they knocked it out of the park.

Swervedriver







Adam Franklin blew me away when I caught his solo show at the Echo in July of 2007. I never thought I would get the chance to see a full blown Swervedriver reunion as they used to tour with one of my all time favorite bands Hum.

Swervedriver quickly announced their presence with a blazing version of "Sci-Flyer" right out of the gates. Adam Franklin (Vocals/Guitars) was deftly using his tremolo arm for the dreamy notes as Jimmy Hartridge (Guitars) added his thick guitar work to the mix as Jez Hindmarsch (Drums) furiously pounded away. It had seemed like Swervedriver had never left. The ripping guitars didn't stop as they demolished "Sandblasted" from their album Raise. It was pure sonic ear candy. I had a feeling that the majority of the audience as full of musicians and guitar worshipers. Steve George (Bass) was anchoring the low end with his Fender Jazz Bass as Adam and Jimmy frequently switched guitars all night. As much as I wanted to believe that Adam had a dense rack mounted setup for his guitar rig, I spotted only a few Boss pedals and a Matchless amplifier. I hate to believe it but guitar tone lies in the hands of the guitar player.

"Duel" was another sonic romp with injected nitrogen into the already speeding set from Swervedriver. I was extremely thankful for being at the Henry Fonda at this point and was quickly reaffirmed that I had made the right decision. It was literal sonic heaven as Swervedriver tackled "Girl On A Motorbike" and "Rave Down". The ante was upped with a show stopping version of "Duress" and the closing coda of "Last Train To Satansville". Thank you Swervedriver. Thank you very much.

Ladytron and Datarock at the Henry Fonda Theater

My synthesizer anticipation was on overload as a trio of synthesizer based bands stopped by the Henry Fonda for a sold out two night stand. Ladytron is supporting their new album Velocifero while Datarock continues to relentlessly tour on their album Datarock Datarock. The inclusion of Modwheelmood made this show a sure bet.

Modwheelmood







I last caught up with Modwheelmood at the Knitting Factory back in 2006. Modwheelmood has quietly released a couple of well constructed EP's entitled Pearls To Pigs Volumes 1 & 2 with a third volume due out this summer. Modwheelmood consists of Alessandro Cortini (Bass/Vocals) and Pelle Hillstrom (Guitars) with drumming support from Jesper Kristensen. I was surprised to see an absence of synthesizers on stage, but Modwheelmood made up for it with a sharp power trio rock set. Alessandro really cut loose on "Frequency" with a round cutting bass tone from his Fender bass as Pelle added some slashing chords on his Yamaha hollowbody guitar. They closed their all too brief set with "Things Will Change" and received a good ovation from the crowd. Look out for a record review of the three volumes of Pearls To Pigs coming soon.

Datarock






Datarock wears track suits for a reason. They are one of the hardest working bands out on the tour circuit today. Datarock also puts together such an energetic set that you can't help but sing and cheer along as their energy on stage is infectious. Armed with a Steinberger guitar and bass straight out of the 1980's, Datarock danced through a tight set that covered such tunes as "Computer Camp Love" and "I Used To Dance With My Daddy". Datarock also busted out the dance moves daftly breaking into the "Running Man" during a cheeky version of "Princess". Datarock brought down the house with a burning version of "Fa Fa Fa" that included a saxophone solo, bongos triggered from an electronic drum pad and spaghetti guitar lines played expertly by Fredrik Saroea (Vocals/Guitars). Datarock will be back on the Download festival circuit with M83 and Caribou on July 20th. I also traveled down to the Detroit Bar to catch their DJ set that went on well into the morning as Fredrik kept the party going.

Ladytron






I think Ladytron has the distinction of being one of the most reviewed bands here on Amateur Chemist as I have seen them fourteen times in various capacities. Ladytron is touring behind their new album Velocifero which has grown on me after a number of listens. The album is a refined blend of Witching Hour and 604. The Korg MS-20 is still prominently featured throughout the album and has extra production assistance by Alessandro Cortini.

A wall of lights was setup behind Ladytron as various keyboards were stationed across the stage. The subsonic bass lines of "Black Cat" kicked off their set as Mira Aroyo used her stark voice (Vocals/Keyboards) to give the song an icy chill. One of the reasons I like Ladytron live is they bring all their analog gear and incorporate live drums, bass and guitars to flush out their distinct sound instead of relying on backing tracks. "Runaway" was Helen's turn at the microphone as the synthesizers continued to blare at maximum volume. The new songs had even greater dynamics in the live setting as Reuben Wu (Keyboards) was behind his bookcase of synthesizers tweaking away. "Ghosts" was absolutely haunting with multiple blips and bleeps interspersed into the song.

"I'm Not Scared" was pure electronic bliss as I detected the dark MS-20 filters yet again. The pulsating cowbell sample of "Playgirl" boomed through the speakers as both Helen and Mira entangled their singing voices for a lush version of the song. "Deep Blue" is one of my favorite tracks from the new album and sounded dark and beautiful just like I anticipated. "Last One Standing" got the whole crowd involved in singing along as Daniel Hunt's (Guitars/Keyboards) led the cheering. "Destroy Everything You Touch" was a fitting closer to the night as Ladytron touched the audience.

Ladytron Setlist for the Henry Fonda Theater May 30th 2008
"Black Cat"
"Runaway"
"High Rise"
"Ghosts"
"17"
"Blue Jeans"
"Season"
"I'm Not Scared"
"True Maths"
"Soft Power"
"Playgirl"
"International Dateline"
"Deep Blue"
"Fighting In Built Up Arenas"
"Discotraxx"
"Last One Standing"
"Kletva"
"Burning Up"
"Destroy Everything You Touch"

The National at the House of Blues San Diego

I will be the first to admit I missed the boat on The National. My friends kept mentioning that I would enjoy their music but it wasn't until I picked up their latest album Boxer that I realized I was missing out on some compelling music. I was eagerly looking forward to catching their warm up show at the House of Blues San Diego prior to their cross country tour opening up for R.E.M. and Modest Mouse.

Ferraby Lionheart






I wasn't surprised to see Ferraby Lionheart backed by 3 of the 4 members of the omnipresent Dawes. Ferraby was also accompanined by an upright bass player and a slide guitarist to round out his mini orchestra. "A Bell and Tumble" amicably rambled along as Ferraby delicately strummed his acoustic guitar. "Small Planet" from his album Catch The Brass Ring was a piano fueled ballad with Ferraby's wistful vocals. Dawes did an excellent job filling out the sound of Ferraby's songs. Ferraby will be doing a mini tour supporting Eef Barzelay of Clem Snide.

The National







The jagged guitar notes of "Brainy" were weighty as Matt Berringer's voice rightfully dominated the mix at the House of Blues San Diego. The tension of "Secret Meeting" was divine as the combination of piano and plucked out guitars showed that The National was more than ready to open for Modest Mouse and R.E.M the next night at the Hollywood Bowl.

Aaron and Bryce Dessner (Guitars) impressed me with their guitar abilities as they did a large amount of fingerpicking of guitar notes and played some unconventional chord voicings. The National didn't rely on a wall of amplifiers to create their massive sound but instead used some Fender amps and a few well chosen guitar pedals. "Squalor Victoria" turned things up considerably at Matt became extremely animated as the song built up emotional steam. Matt's intensity continued to build as he crushed "Abel" viciously singing "My mind's not right!"

"Mistaken For Strangers" was performed with a sharp intensity as small bursts of guitar feedback accompanied the mini horn section throughout the tune. The distinctive bouncy piano notes of "Ada" rang with extra resonance as Matt's voice never wavered. I was starting to kick myself for not seeing The National all the other times I had a chance. "Mr. November" brought things to critical mass as Matt completely lost himself on stage and was wildly moving about the stage. The crowd would not let the band go off stage as The National closed out the night with "You've Done It Again, Victoria". The National is a band that shouldn't be missed when they come to your town.

The National setlist at the House of Blues San Diego (5/28/08)
"Brainy"
"Secret Meeting"
"Baby"
"Start A War"
"Slow Show"
"Squalor Victoria"
"Abel"
"Blank State"
"All The Wine"
"Racing Like A Pro"
"Mistaken For Strangers"
"Ada"
"Daughters of The Soho Riots"
"Apartment Story"
"Fake Empire"
"Green Gloves"
"Mr. November"
"You've Done It Again, Virginia"

Ink-N-Iron Festival at the Queen Mary

Check out my review of The Black Angels and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club at the Ink-N-Iron Festival on the Queen Mary in Long Beach for the OC Weekly here. The slideshow is here.