Muse at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine

I remember Jim Adkins from Jimmy Eat World saying he felt stupid for playing a guitar solo after taking the stage during the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas show in 2004. The lineup that night was spectacular as it featured Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, The Killers, Modest Mouse, Muse, The Music, Snow Patrol and The Shins. I vividly remember Muse blowing everyone off the stage that night to only have it confirmed by Jim. This night was riddled with concert conflicts as Air was playing the Greek Theatre with Sea Wolf, and Besnard Lakes and Minor Canon were at the Troubadour. I couldn't pass up Muse in Irvine.



Immigrant opened up the show. They have 25,546 profile views on their myspace page and they are unsigned.

Juliette and The Licks had piqued my curiosity factor because I had heard she puts on an energetic show. I did like Juliette in Natural Born Killers but the question remained whether she could pull off a rock show. I was not to familiar with the songs she played, but can testify that she gave a spirited performance.






Muse blew up the Forum last time I saw them. They have since played two massive gigs at the 90,000 capacity Wembley Stadium and would easily rank in one of the top live bands in the game. With gigantic screens and a light show that rivals Nine Inch Nails, Muse opened with "Knights of Cydonia" and sounded as sharp as ever. The lyrics from the song were flashing across the screens as the band chugged away. "Map of the Problematique" had some excellent bubbly synths fill the amphitheatre as Matt Bellamy (Guitars/Vocals) showed off his amazing falsetto vocal range. The band broke down into a mini metal jam at the end of the song that was head banging worthy. "Hysteria" was amazing as Matt was tapping on his Korg Kaoss pad in his guitar for some spacey synth sounds. Matt then busted out the riff to "People Of The Sun" from Rage Against The Machine before Chris Wolstenholme unleashed his gut rumbling bass line.





I looked for a swarm of bees to appear after hearing Matt's fuzzy feedback intro into "Supermassive Black Hole". The great thing about seeing Muse live is how much the band adds in terms of extra notes, feedback, fuzz, and crazy synth effects. "Butterflies & Hurricanes" showcased Matt's piano skills on his Kawai Piano which had a clear top and had lasers reflecting off the top for a visually appealing effect. "Feeling Good" had Matt grabbing a megaphone for a distorted vocal effect. "Stockholm Syndrome" was a showstopper as all in attendance were convinced that they had witnessed one of the best live bands at the top of their game. I was hoping they could salvage the San Diego Street Scene on Saturday.





Muse Setlist for Verizon Wireless in Irvine(9/21/07)
"Knights of Cydonia"
"Map of the Problematique"
"Hysteria"
"Supermassive Black Hole"
"Butterflies & Hurricanes"
"City of Delusion"
"Sing for Absolution"
"Feeling Good"
"Apocalypse Please"
"Soldier's Poem"
"Invincible"
"Starlight"
"New Born"
"Time Is Running Out"
"Plug In Baby"
"Take a Bow"
"Stockholm Syndrome"

Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem at the Hollywood Bowl

The Hollywood Bowl put together some excellent shows this year including Morrissey and The Decemberists. It would have been a better season if The Cure and Pet Shop Boys hadn't postponed and canceled. Arcade Fire and LCD soundsystem can be added to the list of excellent shows.



Gridlock was in full effect as I entered the Hollywood Bowl just as Pat Mahoney (Drums) started off with shuffling beat of "Us V Them". James Murphy (Vocals) thanked the crowd and told everyone that they rented the biggest disco ball they could find and he bought a new microphone stand. "Daft Punk Is Playing My House" was the proper encouragement to get some of the people out of their seats and start shaking their stuff. "Time To Get Away" accelerated the pace of the show and one could feel LCD Soundsystem picking up steam. I was curious to see if the LCD Soundsystem could surpass the energy of their previous El Rey Theatre show. The elastic spastic bassline of "North American Scum" finally enticed more patrons out of their seats with a portion of the front audience jumping along in unison. The electricity level was palpable at that moment and it was clear that LCD Soundsystem could rock the Hollywood Bowl. The urgently chiming piano keys contrasted with a propelling bass line of "All My Friends" forced you to move your body in time to the beat. LCD didn't not even give the audience a chance to catch their breath as they played "Tribulations". Most of Arcade Fire were rocking out a few feet to my left as they checked out most of LCD Soundsystem's set. They closed with "New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" which had me thinking that Arcade Fire would have to dazzle me in order for me not to say that LCD Soundsystem stole the show.




Random tidbits of radio stations programs and television shows blasted from the speakers as the members of Arcade Fire stormed the stage. "Black Mirror" off their album "Neon Bible" was the first song to get the crowd off their feet as Win Butler (Vocals/Guitar/Bass) started to preach. Win has a commanding stage presence and I found myself still tracking Win versus the small army that they had onstage. The only instrument they didn't have onstage were the kitchen sink and a didjeridoo. I did spot a Moog Taurus which I haven't seen in a long time. "Keep The Car Running" was next and I started to believe I was going to hear the whole "Neon Bible" album in its entirety. The sound mix at the beginning of the show was a little off but did finally come together when the band soared into "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)". "No Cars Go" was epic with the violins and a mini accordion solo that dare I say rocked. "Haiti" was an excellent follow up featuring excellent background vocals and urgent violin work. The Arcade Fire continued to work through other songs "Intervention", "My Body Is A Cage", "Windowsill", "Ocean Of Noise" and Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels). The epic closing of "Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)" and "Rebellion (Lies)" was a magical beyond words moment as a precursor to the encore of "The Well and The Lighthouse" and "Wake Up". I would have to say the battle between LCD Soundsystem and Arcade Fire was a draw but a victory for all those in attendance.

The Little Ones at the Detroit Bar

I incriminated myself last time I made the double concert night of Autolux in San Diego and Eskimohunter at the Detroit Bar. So I won't give out time lines and distance traveled when I caught all of The Little Ones set after watching the Smashing Pumpkins destroy at the Open Air Theatre.

The Detroit Bar was hopping again with a splendid double bill of The Deadly Syndrome and The Little Ones as part of the Busy Work night on Wednesday. I unfortunately missed The Deadly Syndrome but caught the full shaking set of The Little Ones.

The Little Ones had invaded Orange County before at The OCMA. I was an instant fan after that performance. When I saw them at the Troubadour, my review was linked by Spinner.com.

Opening their set with the uptempo shimmy shake beat of "Cha Cha Cha" the crowd started to warm up. Ed Reyes (Guitar/Vocals) was playing a sparkling Gretsch guitar and had forsaken his old pedal board for a lonely Analog delay pedal. They played a new song that had a flurry of Oh's and Ah's and the steady beat of the tambourine in the background. The hypnotic guitar line and electric piano flourishes of "Oh! MJ!" inspired some early crowd participation with hand claps from the audience. "Face The Facts" was even more uptempo then the recorded version. Another new song "Unlock The Door" had a calypso/ tropical feel to it that had me tapping my foot in time. The Little Ones took crowd participation to The Hold Steady level by bringing up various people onstage for added percussion on "There's A Pot Brewin'". The Little Ones will embark on an East coast tour with Voxtrot before heading across the pond to tour with Kaiser Chiefs and We Are Scientists. I look forward to their full length release.


The Little Ones Pedalboards

Smashing Pumpkins at the San Diego State Open Air Theatre

I originally had planned to review the White Stripes and Cold War Kids at the Forum in Los Angeles but read the news about Meg White with her acute anxiety disorder and the cancellation of the tour. It was a bad news, good news scenario as it freed me up to go to San Diego to go see the Smashing Pumpkins.

Hellride


Hellride lived up to its name. A powerful trio of Mike Watt (Bass), Peter Distefano (Guitars) and Stephen Perkins (Drums) who collectively have contributed to more bands then one could possibly imagine. Mike Watt has been filling in with Iggy Pop and the Stooges but also is known for his bass playing in the Minutemen. Mike Watt was clothed in a bathrobe that didn't confine his elastic bass playing skills. Stephen Perkins (Drums) is known for his work in Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros. His drum kit was front and center to display his hyperkinetic drumming. Peter Distefano (Guitars) also was a member of Porno for Pyros and has the distinction of playing one of my favorite solos from the 1990's with the song "Pets". Peter was still in top shred form as he grabbed a violin bow and proceeded to engage his wah pedal for a searing solo augmented with a metal slide during their set. Their set ended unfortunately after thirty minutes.





As I stood in line to pick up my ticket for the show, I was asked by one of the students who was playing. I replied that it was the Smashing Pumpkins. She replied that her mom had seen them in concert. I felt really old at that moment.

The first time I saw the Smashing Pumpkins was in 1994 during Lollapalooza in San Diego. The most memorable thing about that show was when the Breeders walked off the stage after one and a half songs when the crowd threw mud onstage.




The opening rumble of "Superchrist" was a good signal of what kind of show I was in for. The songs kept getting better as "Doomsday Clock" was next and Jimmy Chambelin's drums were deafening. "Hummer" is one of my all time favorite Pumpkins tunes and Billy Corgan (Guitars/Vocals) bent the guitar string behind the nut to get a deeper bending sound. The double solo from Jeff Schroeder(Guitars)and Billy during "Bring The Light" was perfectly in sync. Jeff added some extra harmonic squeals to "United States" that I hadn't caught before. When it came time for Billy to go into his solo for "United States" his volume knob on his Schecter guitar didn't seem to function correctly as he wasn't able to get the appropriate volume swells from his guitar. Billy shrugged it off and improvised using his teeth Jimi Hendrix style for a few moments to the delight of his laughing bandmates. "Ava Adore" knocked me off my feet because I hadn't heard it in the four times I have seen them this year. "Silverfuck" had me wishing I had my guitar in my hands as they crushed the Drop-D tuned riff. If you own any Smashing Pumpkins cd's, tapes, or vinyl, check them out on tour because you will regret it if you don't.



In order to not end my mini tour of the Smashing Pumpkins, I will venture out to Atlanta for two nights (Oct 30 and Oct 31st). I wonder if they will come out as The Beatles like they did on Halloween 1998 at Dodger Stadium opening for Kiss.

Smashing Pumpkins Setlist for the San Diego State Open Air Theatre (9/19/07)
"Superchrist"
"Doomsday Clock"
"Hummer"
"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
"Drown"
"Bring The Light"
"That's The Way"
"Tonight"
"Tarantula"
"Glass And The Ghost Children"
"1979(Acoustic)"
"To Sheila"
"United States"
"Today"
"Ava Adore"
"Starla"
"Heavy Metal Machine"
"Silverfuck"
"Muzzle"

Peter, Bjorn and John at the Wiltern Theatre

My Peter, Bjorn and John tour de force continued as I opted in for another round at the Wiltern. It is amazing to think that they played Fingerprints Records and the Roxy in February, the KROQ show in May, the  Henry Fonda in August along with the House of Blues in San Diego and now the Wiltern in September. I can only imagine how many stamps their passports have this year alone.



 
The Clientele by the way of the U.K. opened with their wistful pop tunes that had a nod to 1960's pop. Alasdair Maclean (Guitars/Vocals) had a whisper based vocal delievery style that was refreshing to hear. Alasdair's guitar playing was extremely unique as it was based primarily on fingerpicking. At first I thought Alasdair had metal guitar picks on his fingers but it was actually his fingernails. Alasdair had a Fender Telecaster that was drenched in reverb as he pulled and plucked out guitar stabs. Mel Draisey (Keyboards/Violin/Vocals) added some pleasant background vocals and skillfull violin parts. The Clientele played songs off their latest Merge Records release "God Save The Clientele". I would check them out again if they do another tour.






The deluge of HD Video cameras setup at the Wiltern signified that this night would be documented on an upcoming Peter, Bjorn & John HD-DVD or Blu Ray disc. I think this is the second time that I have attended a DVD taping at the Wiltern with Muse being the first. The other intriguing component was that John actually sat behind the drum kit which was a first for me even though I have seen them four times now. Peter thanked John early in the set and the boys seemed happy to be playing together as well as being prone to some laughter on stage in between the songs. John provided some extra harmonies throughout the night and started off the song "Start to Melt". "Ancient Curse" is one of the bonus tracks of "Writer's Block" and John knocked it out of the park. Peter switched to bass during "Ancient Curse" as Bjorn was hunkered down in front of Peter's guitar pedalboard summoning up the feedback. Since the cameras were on the boys, one could sense the extra effort and energy that the band put out. Their live shows have always been high energy but tonight had some extra fire and urgency. Bjorn's earlier shyness has cleared up as he confidently stepped up to the microphone and sang "Amsterdam". "Paris 2004" had Peter showing off his harmonica skills and John hammered out the sythn pads and the shuffling drum beats. Mel Draisey from The Clientele slowly walked onto stage to provide her delicate vocals for "Young Folks". "Up Against The Wall" was a torrid closer for their set with Peter jumping down into the crowd to the delight of the fans below. The DVD of this show will make a fine stocking stuffer for the looming holiday season.


Peter, Bjorn & John setlist for the Wiltern Theatre (9/17/07)
"Let's Call It Off"
"Far Away"
"See-Through"
"Start To Melt"
"The Chills"
"Ancient Curse"
"Amsterdam"
"Paris 2004"
"Young Folks"
"Teen Love"
"I Don't Know"
"Objects of My Affection"
"Roll The Credits"
"Up Against The Wall"

KROQ LA Invasion at the Home Depot Center

After a scintillating set in Las Vegas, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the Smashing Pumpkins in Los Angeles. It was interesting going from the cozy 2,500 capacity Pearl Theatre to the mammoth 15,000 plus capacity at the Home Depot Center.

Chris Cornell


After navigating the maze like parking at the Home Depot center, I arrived after the smoke of Cypress Hill cleared to catch Chris Cornell. I remember catching Soundgarden in 1996 at Lollapalooza. Soundgarden was in top form and the combination of Kim Thayil's guitar playing with Ben Shepherd's frantic bass lines and Matt Cameron's steady drumming melded well with Chris Cornell's commanding voice. Those days are over but Chris Cornell still has a solid voice. This fact was reinforced when I heard Scott Weiland a few moments later. Chris played a lot of his older hits "Spooman", "Outshined", and "Like A Stone (acoustic)". The real treat was when he played the old Temple of the Dog song "Say Hello To Heaven". It was so nostalgic that I had flashbacks of crowd surfers and flannel clothes of the grunge era.

Velvet Revolver


Velvet Revolver misfired for me. I think it was mainly Scott Weiland's voice that wasn't up to par. Slash was on fire though and was ripping solos and judiciously employing his wah pedal and his Heil Talk Box. I was surprised to see him play a BC Rich red Mockingbird as I have always imagined Slash being a strict Gibson guitar guy. The latest Guitar World outlines his whole rig and it is quite extensive. Slash has three wah pedals on stage in different locations so he can shred where he wants. The one song that was marginally okay was "It's So Easy" which is more in Scott Weiland's vocal range. Slash also pulled out the double neck acoustic/electric guitar for "Patience". Scott had more problems when he tweaked his ankle jumping off the riser and was wincing in pain during the last song.

Foo Fighters




The last time I saw the Foo Fighters they rocked Dodger Stadium. Well, you can add the Home Depot Center to the long list of rocked stadiums. I still prefer their earlier albums but its hard to deny the fact that Dave Grohl has become one of the top front man of rock. With his shiny Trini Lopez blue Gibson guitar, Dave Grohl and company ran through a batch of greatest hits with two new tracks from "Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace". Pat Smear(Nirvana) and Rami Jaffee (Wallflowers) also helped out on the new song "Long Road to Ruin" that has Dave singing more versus his normal scream style singing. I was surprised that they tossed in their cover of Prince's "Darling Nikki" and "The One" off the movie soundtrack "Orange County". When I hear the detuned guitars to "Stacked Actors" I know its time for Dave Grohl to run amongst the masses. It is a well calculated move that helps the band connect with the audience. I chuckled when they brought out a cello player for "The Pretender". I saw the cello but couldn't hear it due to the blistering guitars roaring.

Foo Fighters Setlist for the Home Depot Center (9/15/07)
"Everlong"
"Monkey Wrench"
"My Hero"
"Times Like These"
"Up In Arms"
"Learn To Fly"
"Breakout"
"The One"
"Stacked Actors"
"Long Road To Ruin"
"Best Of You"
"Darling Nikki"
"The Pretender"
"All My Life"

Smashing Pumpkins



My theory behind going to the KROQ show was that Smashing Pumpkins would play a radio friendly setlist that would hopefully include "Zero" and some of the classic pumpkins tunes. The rumble of the drums that signified the opening of "United States" quickly led me to believe that the Smashing Pumpkins would play whatever they felt like, radio hits or not. "Drown" with its drop-D tuning is a nice homage to Jimi Hendrix with its chord voicings. Billy did a crazy reverb feedback delay solo at the end of "Drown" that was jaw dropping. "1979" was ruined by some guy horribly clapping offbeat the whole song. When a song if perfomed acoustically without a drummer please don't clap unless directed by the singer. I was shocked to hear "Superchrist" but was not complaining as it is a sledgehammer of a song and I hope that it finds a proper release. It is such a dark, metallic song that I want to get a Toni Iommi Gibson SG and pound away on the riff. Jimmy Chamberlin (Drums) started to drum the intro to "Doomsday Clock" but was cut off by Billy Corgan who pointed to the Minimoog Voyager as Lisa Harriton triggered some throbbing bass lines for the intro to "Heavy Metal Machine". I could have sworn that Billy improvised some of the lyrics to "Marry Lindsey Lohan". Billy showed his comedic side when he asked the crowd to pray for Brittney Spears and dedicated "Today" to the Federlines. It seemed like an abbreviated festival set but I still had an upcoming San Diego show to go.

Smashing Pumpkins Setlist at the Home Depot Center (9/15/07)
"United States"
"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
"That's The Way"
"Drown"
"Bring The Light"
"Tonight,Tonight"
"Tarantula"
"1979(acoustic)
"To Sheila"
"Superchrist"
"Heavy Metal Machine"
"Today"

Hum Reunion?

I don't normally post non concert review information but I felt compelled by this shiny ray of hope. I fell out of my chair when I saw this commercial above or here. In case you don't know, the song is "Stars" and it is by the band Hum off their spectacular album "You'd Prefer An Astronaut". I am glad someone at Cadillac has amazing music taste. If Van Halen can get back together, I hope Hum can.

Smashing Pumpkins at the Pearl Theatre

After catching the Smashing Pumpkins in San Francisco, I cleared my schedule when I saw they were playing the Pearl Theatre at the Palms. I feel like a Pearl Theatre veteran having caught Tool, Deftones, Bloc Party, and Morrissey in the last six months.



The 88 opened up the show to my surprise. Based in Orange County, I found it ironic that the first time I would see The 88 would be in Las Vegas. I had a concert schedule conflict the last time they played the Detroit Bar with Satisfaction. The 88 play a more caffeinated style of power pop rock in lines of Ben Folds and share a kindred spirit with Satisfaction. The 88 gave a solid performance and won over a number of Pumpkins fans in the process. I will have to check them out when they play their own show.







An old time marching tune came blaring over the speaker system that soon gave way to the tribal drumming of Jimmy Chamberlin (Drums) and the dual feedback from Billy Corgan (Vocals/Guitars) and Jeff Schroeder (Guitars) as they melted the air with "United States". "United States" sounds huge live and lets the audience know that they will be rocked all night. I especially enjoyed Billy's feedback solo that fades into the Star Spangled Banner as he salutes the crowd."Bullet With Butterfly Wings" starts off with a prolonged intro bass line aptly played by Ginger Reyes (Bass) who does a fine job. Lisa Harriton (Keyboards) stepped out from the keyboards to add some keytar to "That's The Way". "Neverlost" was prefaced by Billy saying it was the first time they had played the song live but I couldn't tell because it sounded flawless. By the time they finished playing "Hummer", "Drown", and "Stand Inside Your Love" I felt justified for flying out to Las Vegas just to catch a show. When I heard "1979" acoustic I was blown away because I had missed it at the Fillmore shows. "Perfect" acoustic was phenomenal and completely unexpected. The Pumpkins closed the show with a triple barrel shotgun blast of "Superchrist", "Doomsday Clock" and "Heavy Metal Machine". For the encore I was hoping for "Muzzle" but was still pleased to hear "Cherub Rock". After a two hour set, I still wanted that extra half hour but still was glad I have a few more Pumpkins shows on the docket.

Smashing Pumpkins Setlist for Las Vegas at the Pearl Theatre (9/13/07)
"United States"
"Bullet With Butterfly Wings"
"That's the Way (My Love Is)"
"Neverlost"
"Hummer"
"Drown"
"Bring The Light"
"Stand Inside Your Love"
"Tonight,Tonight"
"Tarantula"
"Glass and The Ghost Children"
"1979(Acoustic)"
"The Crying Tree Of Mercury(Acoustic)"
"Zeitgeist(Acoustic)
"Perfect(Acoustic)"
"With Every Light(Acoustic)"
"Superchrist"
"Doomsday Clock"
"Heavy Metal Machine"
"Cherub Rock"