Tool at the Pearl Theatre in the Palms Night 2

One can never go wrong seeing Tool two nights in a row. After sitting a few rows back on night 1, I had pit tickets for the second night. The doors opened early and my brother and I managed to secure a spot on the rail in front of Justin Chancellor (Bass).

Justin appeared with an afro wig as he tore into "Jambi". Justin later tossed his afro out into the first row for an interesting souvenir. Danny Carey (Drums) was sporting his Kansas Basketball jersey with his name on the back. Maynard James Keenan (Vocals) returned to form on this particular night as he moved around more during "Jambi" compared to his statue performance on Thursday. Since I was on the rail, I basically enjoyed the show and didn't take too many notes.

It was interesting to watch the Tool image patrol in action. The Tool image patrol is Tool's security team that has ear pieces and mini red lasers to spot any cameras in the crowd and threaten to kick people out if they take pictures with their camera phones. The staff from the Pearl was running back and forth at the discretion of the Tool image patrol nabbing patrons taking renegade photos. I would love to see their job description when applying for the position.

Maynard did manage to let it rip for the ending scream of "Stinkfist" which gave me flashbacks to the good old days of Tool shows. "Rosetta Stoned" had Justin swinging his bass all over place for different shades of feedback. The visuals during "Rosetta Stoned" featured planets swirling around the universe. "Wings For Marie" and "10,000 Days" was astounding in that I watched Justin shred on the bass. The fingerpicking that Justin does on the song is jaw dropping. The usually problem of Maynard's vocals being too low haunted the band again. "Lateralus" had some humorous moments when the bass tech gave Justin a banana. Maynard peered over and asked Justin, "You hungry?". Justin would later get another banana and offer it to Maynard. Maynard tried to offer the banana to Adam which he reacted with a chuckle. Maynard would later toss the banana out to the crowd. Maynard closed the night saying it was the last night of the tour but it would not be their final show. I still think it will be a few years before we hear from Tool again.

Tool Setlist at the Pearl Theatre at the Palms (12/14/07)
"Jambi"
"Stinkfist"
"46&2"
"Schism"
"Rosetta Stoned"
"Flood"
"Wings For Marie"
"10,000 Days"
"Lateralus"
"Vicarious"

Tool at the Pearl Theatre in the Palms Night 1

2007 has been a busy concert year. I am amazed that I managed to see Tool six times this calendar year. Tool sounded superb when they played the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles. I was hoping for a repeat performance of their concert in April when I saw them at the Pearl.

I was fortunate to have my brother roll out for both nights of Tool in Vegas. I am still jealous that he saw some earlier Tool shows back in 1992. The one specific show was when he saw Tool and Rage Against the Machine at Club Lingerie. There were no opening bands so the audience was subjected to a random batch of songs. It was funny though when they played Iron Maiden’s “Number of The Beast” and the light technician would trigger some flashing lights during Bruce Dickinson’s screams.

Tool took the stage about a quarter of an hour past nine. Danny Carey (Drums) was sporting a Kobe Bryant Lakers Jersey while Maynard James Keenan (Vocals) had a Orange Puscifer jacket. I was not surprised when the rumbling riff of “Jambi” filled the theatre as the crowd roared. Adam Jones (Guitars) knocked it out of the park with his improvised Heil Talk Box solo. The sizzling electrode sounds served as a premonition to “Stinkfist”. Adam was employing his wah pedal frequently as a filter for his guitar tone. Adam walked over to Justin near the end of the song to signal the part of where they speed up the song to really finish out the tune with a bang. “46&2” never gets old live and is one of the better groove based Tool songs. Adam seemed to be using a combination of a phaser and a flanger for parts of the song. “Schism” is a showcase for Justin’s stellar bass skills. Justin stomped his foot to lead the band into the song. “Rosetta Stoned” had Justin using his pick to scrape the strings for added noise. Maynard’s vocals for the next three songs seemed to have been turned down a pinch. It was not mixed as well as the Nokia Theatre show. “Flood” is always worth the money as Justin teased the audience with various bass notes before launching into the crushing bass line. A slew of blue lights and water visuals filled the Pearl fitting the mood of the song extremely well. The Tool stool was pulled out for Justin for the epic “Wings for Marie” and “10,000 Days” combo. “Lateralus” was simply off the charts. It was a showcase for Danny, as he didn’t have anyone to drum off against. Danny crushed his drums effortlessly and would make me quit playing drums because he made it look so easy. “Vicarious” closed out the show with Maynard pointing the microphone out to the crowd for the final verse and using he hand as guide to mimic the vocals. I was desperately hoping for an extra song but was not surprised when they turned on the house lights.

Tool Setlist at the Pearl Theatre at the Palms (12/13/07)
"Jambi"
"Stinkfist"
"46&2"
"Schism"
"Rosetta Stoned"
"Flood"
"Wings For Marie"
"10,000 Days"
"Lateralus"
"Vicarious"

The Morning Benders at the Silverlake Lounge

I unfortunately always seem to have conflicts when there are good shows at the Silverlake Lounge. My schedule was cleared when I saw the quadruple line up of The Morning Benders, Voxhaul Broadcast, Eugene, and Rosewood Thieves.



The Morning Benders impressed me with their breezy sunshine indie rock a few weeks ago at the Viper Room. Chris Chu (Guitars) was rocking a Fender Telecaster which complemented the Fender Stratocaster tones by Joe Ferrell (Guitars). I enjoyed "Damnit Ana" again this time and think the song could easily breathe some life into stale airwaves of radio. They also nailed a cover of Joy Division's "Ceremony" right down to the hollow carving guitar lines. I picked up both releases "Loose Change" and "Boarded Doors" for archival in my ipod.




Voxhaul Broadcast has been on my radar for quite some time. I having been listening to their latest release "Rotten Apples" and was hoping they could translate the energy on the cd to their live show. Voxhaul Broadcast easily exceeded my expectations and rocked the Silverlake Lounge. Phillip Munsey (Bass) had a Gibson Custom Bass that was rumbling the whole room.Their sound was a variant of the foot stomping parts of Kings Of Leon mixed with the soul of the Cold War Kids combined with the garage rock of the Strokes. It will only be a matter of time before they start opening for bigger bands and generate some serious buzz.



Eugene had me intrigued after a few spins on his myspace page. Eugene is a one man band fronted by Brandon Owens who has a background as touring bassist for jazz and pop bands. Brandon found some time to put down his bass and pick up his acoustic guitar for some compelling demos that seem have been unearthed from the Bob Dylan era. Brandon had a smoky haziness attribute to his voice that really makes him stand out. Brandon was backed by the Rosewood Thieves as they helped round out his sound to make the songs shine with a full band. "California" particularly caught my ear with its jangly sound. I will be keeping a close eye on Eugene.


The Rosewood Thieves from New York closed out the night with their brand of folk rock. I was impressed Paul's guitar setup as he had a Crowther Hot Cake overdrive pedal, a Deluxe Memory Man, and a Pulsar to vary up his guitar tones. Mackenzie (Keyboards) added some delicate keys to their soundscape to round out their sound. "Los Angeles" was one of their many stand out tracks that bores into your head. I will be checking them out again when they play Little Radio.

Goon Moon at the House of Blues San Diego

As I descended the stairs of The Delta Room at the House of Blues San Diego, It was reminiscent of the walk down to the Echoplex in Echo Park. The main difference was that the Echoplex is fairly well lit compared to the dark New Orleans vibe of the Delta Room. I was in for a treat as Goon Moon and Sun Trash rocked the Delta Room.

Sun Trash looked very familiar from the start as they are fronted by Sean Wheeler of Throw Rag fame. I remember seeing Throw Rag open for Queens of The Stone Age at the El Rey many years ago. Sean found some down time from Throw Rag to record various songs with some of his friends like Troy Van Leeuwen (QOTSA), Billy Howerdel (A Perfect Circle) and Josh Homme (QOTSA). The end result is the midpoint somewhere between Eagles of Death Metal and Queens of The Stone Age with a Throw Rag twist. They played their amphetamine hazy sailor foot stomping rock for the audience that had the people in the crowd nodding their heads in approval. I picked up their freshly pressed CD-R "Wicked Awesome Vol. XI" for the ultra bargain of five dollars.

Goon Moon put out an overlooked album with "Licker's Last Leg" on Ipecac records. Chris Goss (Masters Of Reality) and Jeordie White (Nine Inch Nails) teamed up to put together a hodgepodge album of their favorite influences and bands. Chris Goss whipped around a toy wind maker to start of the synthesizer glazed rock of "Rock Weird". Goon Moon really got things rolling quickly with the razor sharp riff of "My Machine" that could easily fit on an old Queens of The Stone Age album. Fred Sablan was hammering away on his Fender Telecaster Deluxe. Fred also has his own project entitled Birthday Twin that is worth checking out. Jeordie White was switching between his Fender Bass and a black Gibson Hollowbody that reminded me of Noel Gallagher from Oasis. Jeordie even managed to throw in the opening riff to "Supersonic" before one of the songs which had Chris and the other band members laughing. "Tip Toe" had an enhanced atmosphere of paranoia in the live setting. "Sleep With A Gun" had Jeordie use an acoustic guitar to lead the band through a quiet version of the song which seemed like a homage to Oasis. It was impressive to see how well the band performed given the fact that many are members of other bands. Goon Moon played for almost an hour and a half which went by like minutes. I hope they tour again soon.

Tool at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live

I was surprised that Tool added another leg of their 10,000 days tour. I figured I had seen the last of Tool for many years after catching two nights of Tool in San Diego. I am eagerly looking forward to the two shows in Las Vegas at the Pearl because their show in April was outstanding.

After paying the outrageous $25 to park, I was curious to see check out the Nokia theatre. The lobby was extremely cramped with the beer lines overflowing. The bathrooms had two levels which I thought was intriguing. The lobby is very small but inside the theatre it was cavernous. I had a fifth row row seat right in line with Adam Jones (Guitars).

Trans Am opened the show with their Battles meets Rush vibe. I was directly in line with the house speakers and overall the sound was very clean for Trans Am. I had heard conflicting reports about the sound quality at the Nokia but I am sure the sound was different for those in the upper deck. Trans Am had lots of instrument switching as they ran through a quick set. I did like one of the songs that they used a vocoder on a Nord Lead keyboard. Another song had a twin bass attack that reminded me of the band Ned's Atomic Dustbin.

The roar of the crowd when the lights went out reminded me of why Tool shows are one of a kind. I was surprised that there was so much light on the stage as the band members could be seen very clearly. I could also see Adam's triple half stack of two Diezel amps with Mesa Boogie cabinets and a vintage Marshall half stack. Danny Carey (Drums) was representing with a Los Angeles Clippers Elton Brand jersey while Maynard Keenan (Vocals) had his Puscifer jacket on. The rumbling drums and fire visuals in the background signaled the song "Jambi". Adam Jones (Guitars) laid down his blistering talk box solo as a brilliant white spot light shone down upon him. Maynard then baited the crowd into jeers when he said the crowd wasn't nearly as loud as San Francisco and they have not even played there yet. "Stinkfist" had the video running on in the background as Adam engaged his Wah pedal to use as a tone filter for his pick scrapes across the strings and for some ringing chords. "46&2" had Adam behind his Virus keyboard triggering some sawtooth like pads before diving into the riff on his Gibson Les Paul Silverburst. The visuals for "46&2" had a skull with a vein attached to an infant inside the skull. How do they come up with this stuff? Adam used some volume knob swells for the intro to "Schism" while the Tool Army red logo swirled in the background. Justin Chancellor(Bass) did a phenomenal job carving out that stuttering bass line. "Rosetta Stoned" had visuals of microprocessor schematics as Maynard yelled into a hand held mini megaphone. Maynard got into the synth action on his Korg Triton Extreme keyboard for the powerful "Flood". The keyboard intro reminded me of some of the sounds on the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland. I had flashbacks of Tool concerts in the early 1990's after hearing the tune. The lasers came out in full force for the double shot of "Wings for Marie" and "10,000 days". I didn't know that Tool provided free Lasek surgery at all their shows. Justin earned some more praise with his fingerpicked intro for "10,000 days". "Lateralus" sounds so good live that it is ridiculous. I wonder if they will ever put out a live DVD that has been rumored for years. Coady from Big Business came out for an extra drum jam with Danny. It was a drum off of sorts that was clearly won by Danny. I am biased though. Maynard jokingly held up a 98 sign to signal that he approved. They closed the evening with "Vicarious" that had Maynard actually sing the whole song instead of pointing the microphone out to the crowd like he has at a few of the earlier shows I attended this year. Overall, I was impressed with the Nokia Theatre and my friend even texted me to say that the sound guy deserves a Grammy for best live mix.

Tool Setlist at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live (12/10/07)
"Jambi"
"Stinkfist"
"46&2"
"Schism"
"Rosetta Stoned"
"Flood"
"Wings For Marie"
"10,000 Days"
"Lateralus"
"Vicarious"

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas Night 2

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas Night 2 was more my speed. It was a strong lineup from start to finish featuring many bands that I have seen all year. I was wondering if KROQ had any surprises hidden up their sleeve for this particular night as Night 1 was by the numbers. It turned out to be a Killer night.

Spoon

Spoon has played every radio station this year it seems. They played Little Radio in July here. They also managed to headline the Indie 103.1 holiday show. I walked into the Gibson Amphitheater while Spoon was rocking "I Turn My Camera On". Britt Daniel (Vocals/Guitars) sounded great and his Gibson Hollowbody guitar was a sharp knife cutting through the mix. Britt grabbed a bass for "The Ghost Of You Lingers" as Eric Harvey (Keyboards) hammered out the haunting melody on the keys. The guys from Jimmy Eat World were sitting in front of me and nodding their heads along to the music. "Don't You Evah" had Britt back on the guitar with a springy reverb tone that is characteristically him. "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" featured some guest horn players to add some extra fullness to the tune. "The Underdog" was a very appropriate song to play as I didn't think that KROQ even plays Spoon. Spoon was an excellent way to start the night.

Feist


I remember seeing Feist at a KCRW show a few years ago and being impressed by her vocal range. I don't watch much TV but my friends say she has an omnipresent ipod commercial. It seemed like just a few months ago, Feist and Spoon co-headlined the Gibson Amphitheater. I wasn't able to attend probably due to a concert conflict but I didn't know that her fanbase had grown that much. I did recognize "1234" which featured a mini crowd sing along. Feist did comment that she went swimming earlier in the day and that it was difficult to believe it was Christmas. She jokingly asked the crowd if they knew what a parka was.

Silversun Pickups

Silversun Pickups continue their ascension to stardom. It is hard to believe that just last year I saw them play the Troubadour for two sold out nights. They also played their entire catalog at the Wiltern in October. The rotating stage swung around and the glow of multiple Christmas lights strewn across their gear started to make me think that it was the holiday season. Christopher Guanlao (Drums) had a Los Angeles Lakers stocking hanging off his super high hi-hat. Nikki Monninger (Bass) carved out the opening bass line for "Well Thought Out Twinkles" on her white Gibson Firebird bass and the crowd cheered in approval. "Dream at Tempo 119" is one of the many gems off their debut album "Carnavas" and sounds ten times louder live. Brian Aubert (Guitars/Vocals) appeared to have tuned down his guitar for the blistering "Little Lover's So Polite". They didn't give the audience a chance to breathe as they tore into "Future Foe Scenarios". Brian tapped into his inner Dave Grohl by taking a stroll around the Gibson Amphitheater to connect with the fans and test the limits of his wireless guitar system. I was hoping they would have enough time to throw in my all time favorite SSPU song "Common Reactor" but alas they waved goodbye to the crowd.

The Shins

I never get tired of seeing The Shins. "Wincing The Night Away" has been highly overlooked on some of the top 10 lists of albums that I have perused. I saw them at The Joint, Vegoose, The Orpheum and at the KCRW show this year. The Shins came out firing as they did a sped up version of "Turn On Me". James Mercer (Guitars/Vocals) had his trusty yellow Gibson guitar and Vox AC 30 amp pumping out his overdriven chords. The hazy keyboards of "Sleeping Lessons" melted into the foot stomping guitar romp breakdown. Marty Crandall (Keyboards/Bass) ran his hand across the keyboard for a swirly version of "Caring Is Creepy". James did some solid tremolo picking during "Pam Berry" before letting his guitar drop out for the catchy bass line of "Phantom Limb". The Shins closed out the night with a harmonious version of "Know Your Onion!".

The Killers


A larger buzz started to generate after the Shins finished their set and I started to hear whispers of a surprise guest. The thunderous bass line from "Shadowplay" started and I immediately recognized The Killers. I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. I saw the Killers earlier this year at the Staples center and at San Diego Street scene. The crowd went bonkers when the opening guitar notes of "Somebody Told Me" rang out through the audience. The Killers got into the Christmas spirit as they unfurled "Don't Shoot Me Santa" with a guest vocals by Santa. The Killers roadies were dressed up as elves as they had water guns to spray the audience. Brandon Flowers (Vocals/Keyboards) was doused by Santa with a water gun at the ending of the song which Brandon laughed off. They closed their mini set with a huge sounding version of "When You Were Young". I am proud to say I can rock this song on drums when I play Rock Band.

Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse continues to tour in support of their latest release "We Were Dead Before The Ship Sank". It is always a treat to see Johnny Marr (Guitars) live as he is a living legend with all of his work in the Smiths. They have been touring forever as I saw them last year at the FM 94.9 Christmas show with the Silversun Pickups and the Shins. "Dashboard" sounds chaotic live as if the song will fall apart at any second. Isaac Brock (Vocals/Guitars) was howling and knocking over his microphone stand with his visceral live performance. I was watching Johnny Marr for most of their set and trying to gleam any techniques or chord voicings from his performance as I took a lot of technical notes.

Jimmy Eat World

Jimmy Eat World closed out the 2004 version of KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas but I remember Jim Adkins (Vocals/Guitars) mentioning that he felt stupid playing a guitar solo after watching Muse. He wouldn't have to worry about that tonight. Jimmy Eat World is touring behind "Chase This Light" which I was fortunate to attend their release party at the El Rey in October. Jimmy Eat World has been touring since then and have fallen back into their usual super tight live show. They opened with "Big Casino" and had the crowd on their feet. "A Praise Chorus" continued their momentum and their dual guitar attack. It started as a future greatest hits set as they followed up with "Work" from their previous album "Futures". I caught myself singing aloud to "Blister" which is very uncharacteristic of me. I will chalk it up to the holiday spirit. "Bleed American" was very well received with its super catchy drop-D tuned riff. Jim Adkins(Guitars/Vocals) had his black thinline Fender Telecaster backed by Vox amps with Tom Linton's Gibson SG guitar and Orange Amps. "Pain" was another crowd favorite that had a good majority of the crowd singing along. "In The Middle" was smartly saved for a sharp finale which had people dancing in the aisles. Jim also said he was thankful that he didn't have to go on after Muse and that the audience so be prepared to see the spectacle that is Muse. One could sense that Jim is a big fan of Muse.

Muse


Muse have had an amazing 2007. They have toured tirelessly across the World on their latest album "Black Holes and Revelations". I saw them at the Forum, Verizon Amphitheatre, Street Scene and at Vegoose this year alone. A Spiderman suit clad Dominic Howard (Drums) tweaked his Buchla synthesizer system to start the pulsating "Take A Bow". "Map Of The Problematique" really started to heat up the crowd with its tribal beat and Matt Bellamy's Digitech Whammy pedal flourishes. Matt was in a shredding mood on this particular night as he furiously tapped his Korg Kaoss pad for the intro to "Supermassive Black Hole". "Newborn" was simply off the charts. Matt was going crazy on his guitar with combinations of two handed tapping and striking the strings behind the nut for added feedback. I literally said "Wow" during the solo. I did sneak a peek and see Matt's Diezel amps on the side of the stage. "Hysteria" was another stand out track with one of the most memorable intro bass line in years. "Starlight" was a great big clap along and Muse was running beyond max speed at this point. Muse finished off the audience with a triple shot of "Time Is Running Out", "Plug In Baby" and "Knights of Cydonia" Muse also had their giant balloons filled with confetti fall from the ceiling into the crowd. As I left, I felt fortunate that I caught both nights.

KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas Night 1

I think I have missed two Acoustic Christmas shows since 2000. It was a good line up in 2000 with some band called Coldplay making their U.S. debut and an upcoming band called At The Drive-In. The second night had another upcoming band called Linkin Park. Seven years later, Linkin Park is the headliner and always answers the call from KROQ. The line up this year wasn't spectacular compared to 2005 but I really wanted to see Bad Religion and Rise Against.

Paramore


I missed all of Paramore when they opened the KROQ L.A. Invasion. I missed 85% of their set at Acoustic Christmas due to parking and traffic. I managed to catch "Misery Business" which had all the teenage girls in the audience screaming along. I found out some interesting facts at their website. I was astounded to see that lead singer Hayley Williams lists Failure as an influence. Will they move on to space emo punk?

Angels & Airwaves

Angels and Airwaves were next. Tom Delonge (Guitars/Vocals) didn't mince his words at last year's show. Tom was still just as chatty this year at the expense of at least a song or two. Tom was still using his custom Gibson Hollowbody signature model and even using a capo for a few songs. Since Tom has a bigger message these days, his sound is bigger with added keyboards and backing tracks. I do enjoy the keyboards in their songs and wasn't surprised to find out Roger Manning Jr. from Jellyfish did the keyboards on their new album. Adam Willard (Drums) was killing it on drums and used to drum in the underrated Rocket From The Crypt. Angels and Airwaves played "The Adventure", "Everything's Magic", "Secret Crowds" and "Valkerie Missile".

Serj Tankian


Serj Tankian looked revitalized when he appeared onstage. I remember my brother calling me when I was in college saying how he saw some amazing metal band called System of A Down open for Machinehead at the Showcase theatre in Corona. I would later see System of A Down numerous times at the Whisky, Roxy, and Troubadour before they became super huge. I became disinterested with each successive album and it seemed like the band members felt the same way. Serj was wearing a white top hat and looked excited to be onstage performing his some material of his new album "Elect The Dead". I was even more surprised to see Larry Lalonde (Guitars) who used to play in Possessed and Primus. A lot of instrumentation was utilized in Serj's performance with notable instruments being a Korg Kaoss pad and a Moog Little Phatty keyboard. I really don't know what to make of the performance. The crowd seemed to enjoy it but I still listen to "War?" and think what if System had continued with that type of energy. The performance had elements of the theatrical, part showtime and Gogol Bordello sprinkled with a dash of metal. Some of the songs Serj played were "Empty Walls", "Elect The Dead", "Praise The Lord and Pass The Ammunition" and "The Unthinking Majority".

Rise Against

I am still kicking myself for missing the Rise Against show at the Long Beach Arena with Lagwagon and Strung Out. Rise Against really impressed me with their set at the Weenie Roast. I was not let down as Rise Against brought their "A" game to the masses. Tim Mcllrath (Vocals/Guitars) has a great voice for punk and really belts out the songs. Zach Blair (Guitars) had a slick Gibson Les Paul Goldtop to accompany his Gallows t-shirt. On a side note, the Gallows cd is one of the more refreshing punk albums I have heard in a long time echoing the anger of the first Minor Threat release. The pit was actually moving for Rise Against which provoked Tim to say that it was similar to the Chain Reaction in Anaheim. Rise Against played a very well received set with the standout songs being "State Of The Union", "Give It All" and "Ready To Fall".

Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold stormed the stage with their brand of metal core. I know very few things about Avenged Sevenfold. I know they are from Huntington Beach as I have seen them in town from time to time. Zachy Vengeance(Guitars) and Synyster Gates (Guitars) have custom Schecter guitars as I see their ads in Guitar World and saw them here at NAMM. I saw that one of them was using a Bogner amp head. In terms of guitar playing, both Zachy and Synyster were very proficient and did some cool unison solos that would make Iron Maiden proud.

Bad Religion


Bad Religion has been one of the most consistent punk bands for decades and are true living legends. My first interview in the college days was with Brian Baker(Guitars) during the Grey Race Tour. Did you know that Brian was going to join R.E.M. as a touring guitarist just before Bad Religion called? Greg Graffin (Vocals) was his usual gesticulating self as they burst into "American Jesus". Jay Bentley (Bass) got into the Christmas spirit with a Santa cap and beard. They went back to the old school with a blazing rendition of "We're Only Gonna Die" from their first release. Bad Religion played so fast that they went through their setlist too quick and had to pick some more songs on the fly. Jay changed the lyrics of "21st Century Digital Boy" from "No No No" to "Ho Ho Ho". Greg Hetson (Guitars) was doing the pogo on his side of the stage and had more energy then most of the earlier performers who are half his age. I am looking forward to their two shows at the House of Blues Anaheim in 2008. Some of the stand out songs from their set included "Let Them Eat War" with Tim from Rise Against, "Stranger Than Fiction", "The New Dark Ages" and the perpetual KROQ single "Infected".

Linkin Park

Linkin Park may not be your cup of tea but they sure put on a entertaining live show. I did like their first two albums but have yet to fully get into their latest offering "Minutes To Midnight". Joseph Hahn (DJ) had a ridiculous 8 M-Audio Trigger Fingers off to his side. I think he used them once or twice for the whole show. Linkin Park did a good job entertaining the crowd and would mix old songs with new ones to maintain a high energy level throughout the night. The highlight of their set was when Mike Shinoda (Vocals/Keyboards/Guitars) and Chester Bennington (Vocals) did a piano version of "My December" which prompted the audience to pull out their lighters and cell phones. Some of the songs they played included "Numb", "One Step Closer", "Crawling" and "Papercut".

A Place To Bury Strangers at the Viper Room

I have been to a few Viper Room shows this year with Gliss, The Minor Canon, The Pity Party and Gliss once again. I cleared my schedule when I saw the line up of A Place to Bury Strangers, Eulogies, In Waves and Forcefield On.







Oliver Ackermann (Guitars/Vocals) provided the best infomercial ever for Death by Audio pedals by a white hot demonstration with his band A Place To Bury Strangers. The Viper Room was stuffed at 9:15 when A Place To Bury Strangers suffocated the audience with their sheets of noise. "I Know I'll See You" was a great example with a bass line that would make Simon Gallup from The Cure proud. I wonder if it is a coincidence that Jono Mofo (Bass) plays a Gibson Thunderbird bass just like Simon Gallup. A white backdrop of old film footage projected behind them as they played in darkness. This would change near the end of the set as white strobe lights went off like paparazzi flashes to finish off your eyes since your ears were already screaming for help. Oliver emphatically ripped the strings off his white Fender Jaguar at the apex of the song and was drowning the audience with feedback. I had major guitar tone envy at this point. I asked Oliver if he was going to be at NAMM in January to which he unfortunately said no. I guess this means I will have to go find a store who sells Death By Audio pedals.





Eulogies was next on the bill and the trademark Viper Room lights had been restored. It was the fourth time I have caught Eulogies and I can attest they play a solid set every time. "If I Knew You" still stands out as one of the many examples of their formidable songwriting skillls. Peter Walker (Guitars/Vocals) had switched out his TV yellow Gibson Les Paul Jr. for a slick Gibson Hollowbody. "Life Boat" also stook out on this particular night as they performed a blazing rendition of the song. Check out their latest self-titled release on Dangerbird records.






In Waves lived up to their name sake as they submerged the audience in waves of delay and reverb as if you were bobbing up and down in the ocean letting it guide you wherever. Tim Gregorio (Bass) had a Fender Bass working overtime as he really propelled the songs. Jimmy Vincent (Vocals/Guitars) had a distinctive guitar style that culled from many heroes of the Brit pop era. With a quick glance aroud the audience, I noticed a lot of people closing their eyes and getting lost in the music. The song that particularly impressed me was "A walk". I will watch for their upcoming shows very closely.




Forcefield On from Long Beach closed out the night with their horn filled indie rock. The stage could barely hold all the seven members of the band. I was quickly reminded of The Minor Canon after catching a few songs. I may have to catch them again when they play the Prospector in Long Beach on January 31st.