Posted: September 27th, 2008 | Author: Nathan | Filed under: Articles About Music | Tags: concerts, conor oberst, jenny lewis | Comments Off
I finally got the chance to get out of the valley and see a show this week. Jenny Lewis and Conor Oberst were both playing a honkey tonk show in a barn down on Dixon St. in Fayetteville. Although I am sure that most of the emo and scene kids that I waited in line with left disappointed, I thoroughly enjoyed the night.
I wasn’t too sure how much I was going to enjoy the Jenny Lewis set. Although I am a huge fan of all things Rilo Kiley, I was not too impressed with Rabbit Fur Coat. Although it had a couple of great tracks it never really set well with me as a record. It was a gospel album being sung by somebody who didn’t understand the gospel. I think she felt the need to use all of this sort of redemptive jargon because of the genre of music and it just didn’t seem real or true for her. But Jenny has got one the most incredible voices I have ever heard and she and her band, which included the very talented Johnathon Rice, put on a mesmerizing show. I was sucked in the from the moment they took the stage. I am now convinced that I need to give Jenny Lewis, the solo artist, another shot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Acid Tongue ends up on my year end list.
Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue (removed 2/13/09)
What I was even more surprised about was how much I enjoyed the performance by Oberst and his Mystical Valley Band. Oh how far he has come since the early days of Bright Eyes and Saddle Creek. There was no skin tight jeans. His hair wasn’t in his eyes. No songs or comments about how much America or Bush suck. And I actually saw him smiling, twice. Not to mention that sound has changed drastically as well. Words like bitter, angst-ridden, melancholy, and emo which have been so commonly attached to his name have to be thrown out the window when trying to describe the musical style of this new band that he has assembled. Well he might still have a tiny bit of angst but he’s expressing it in a poppy and upbeat way (I Don’t Wanna Die In a Hospital). Now I’m not suggesting that Oberst has lost his musical identity in any way. Everything that he is doing today is still uniquely his, but it is incredible how much his sound has evolved over the years. I for one am not about to complain about this musical evolution. The fact that I was able to watch Oberst rock out in a barn with a southern rock band and an electric organ is just plain awesome. Some highlights of the night would have to be an acoustic version of Milk Thistle to close out the set and then a rockin’ version of I Don’t Want To Die (in a hospital) to finish up the encore. And then we also had the privilege of hearing an incredible song that they wrote earlier that day. It was possibly one of the most cleverly written songs I had heard from him in a long time. I really hope that this isn’t the only time that he records with this all-star crew that he has assembled. But in case this is a one time deal, make sure to catch the show when they come your way.
Conor Oberst – I Don’t Want to Die (in a hospital) (removed 2/13/09)
Posted: July 15th, 2008 | Author: Nathan | Filed under: Articles About Music | Tags: brendan james, concerts | Comments Off
i finally got the chance to go see another show last night. a friend of mine told me he was going to see this guy named brendan james and asked if i wanted to go. i had no idea who he was, but it had been so long since i had been to a concert i decided to tag along. boy am i glad that i did. i had heard his album once before we left and enjoyed it, but didn’t think much of it. my wife on the other hand saw the genius of his music before i did. she loved it on first listen and stole the cd from me. but then last night at the show i was quickly able to see what all the fuss was about.
well the show was in this little box of a venue called the music hall in fayetteville. we showed up early, knowing that brendan james wasn’t the headliner, to make sure we caught his part of the show. so as i was walking around w/ some friends of mine, checking out the merch table when i saw a little flyer that had a quote from carly simon that said, “brendan james has a voice that can change the world.” i thought that was such a ridiculous statement that i made sure and pointed it out to all the guys i was with and we had a good laugh. and then we heard him sing. now i still think that simon’s statement was a little outlandish, but now i know where she was coming from. his voice is absolutely incredible. and it sounds much better in person than it does on record, which seems to be rare these days.
not only does he have an amazing voice, but he really has a way with words. now i enjoyed every song he played, but the one that stuck out to me the most was his song green. which is probably his most popular song. the reason i enjoyed it so much is not because of its catchy hooks and melodies, which it has plenty of. but rather for the way he described how a former girl’s favorite color makes him feel.
green reminds me of everything we did
it blinds me
it rushes through my head
it finds me close to you again.
i just really liked that a lot. most of his lyrics are very poetic and story telling at the same time. so as you can probably tell by now i have become a fan. not to mention i got the chance to chat with him a little before the show and he was a really stand up guy. so please listen to this song and then hurry up and go see him live or buy the cd. it’s worth it. sure to make your ears bleed.
brendan james – green (removed 2/13/09)
Posted: April 4th, 2008 | Author: Nathan | Filed under: Articles About Music | Tags: ben folds, concerts | 2 Comments »
so last night i attended my first concert of 2008. and boy was it worth the wait. i went with my good buddy fitz to see ben folds in tulsa last night at the reynolds center. first of all if this is an experience that you have failed to make your own, you must make it a priority. he is absolutely phenomenal. that being said i was still pretty disappointed and frustrated at many parts of last night. i think the problem mainly stems from the fact that tu students were allowed free admission to the concert. i have never been to a concert where people talked so much during the main act. but of course leave to ben to redeem a terrible situation like such. instead of getting pissed and just telling everybody to shut up, before starting “fred jones, pt. 2″ he politely informed the crowd that if it wasn’t quiet enough that he would simply start the song over. which he did. about 8 times. because people are idiots and that’s how long it took them to realize that he was for real. which i didn’t really mind to much because it’s an incredible song. while doing this he mentioned that he once played the intro to “brick” for an entire hour. but like i said he is such an amazing musician. and his drummer and bassist are pretty incredible too. the three of them would sing in a three part harmony often throughout the show. he played a lot of new songs which are going to be on his new album that he’s releasing later this fall, including one he wrote about the time that he got excited at a show in japan and walked right off the end of the stage and got a concussion. despite all of the TU bastards (song reference), it was a pretty great night. he finished by leading the crowd in a three part harmony that goes along with my personal favorite of his, “not the same”. even though he played the one song i asked for i still don’t feel like i can cross ben off the list, so to speak. because i think that he is capable of so much more and that he just played to the crowd. i think i need to see him in a more intimate setting, or with a symphony orchestra. so if somehow you have never listened to ben folds before or the only song you know is brick then please download this song and then go out and buy several albums and go see him live cause i can now say from experience he is one of the greatest musical performers around. i hope your ears bleed (but not really)
ben folds – still fighting it (removed 8/24)
I wasn’t too sure how much I was going to enjoy the Jenny Lewis set. Although I am a huge fan of all things Rilo Kiley, I was not too impressed with Rabbit Fur Coat. Although it had a couple of great tracks it never really set well with me as a record. It was a gospel album being sung by somebody who didn’t understand the gospel. I think she felt the need to use all of this sort of redemptive jargon because of the genre of music and it just didn’t seem real or true for her. But Jenny has got one the most incredible voices I have ever heard and she and her band, which included the very talented Johnathon Rice, put on a mesmerizing show. I was sucked in the from the moment they took the stage. I am now convinced that I need to give Jenny Lewis, the solo artist, another shot. I wouldn’t be surprised if Acid Tongue ends up on my year end list.
What I was even more surprised about was how much I enjoyed the performance by Oberst and his Mystical Valley Band. Oh how far he has come since the early days of Bright Eyes and Saddle Creek. There was no skin tight jeans. His hair wasn’t in his eyes. No songs or comments about how much America or Bush suck. And I actually saw him smiling, twice. Not to mention that sound has changed drastically as well. Words like bitter, angst-ridden, melancholy, and emo which have been so commonly attached to his name have to be thrown out the window when trying to describe the musical style of this new band that he has assembled. Well he might still have a tiny bit of angst but he’s expressing it in a poppy and upbeat way (I Don’t Wanna Die In a Hospital). Now I’m not suggesting that Oberst has lost his musical identity in any way. Everything that he is doing today is still uniquely his, but it is incredible how much his sound has evolved over the years. I for one am not about to complain about this musical evolution. The fact that I was able to watch Oberst rock out in a barn with a southern rock band and an electric organ is just plain awesome. Some highlights of the night would have to be an acoustic version of Milk Thistle to close out the set and then a rockin’ version of I Don’t Want To Die (in a hospital) to finish up the encore. And then we also had the privilege of hearing an incredible song that they wrote earlier that day. It was possibly one of the most cleverly written songs I had heard from him in a long time. I really hope that this isn’t the only time that he records with this all-star crew that he has assembled. But in case this is a one time deal, make sure to catch the show when they come your way.
