Modern Minstrels

Blog Archive

This is an archive of the music blog I kept from 2003-2006.

Decemberists at The Warfield

The Decemberists rocked The Warfield last night, and I was there to enjoy every minute of it. They opened with The Crane Wife 3 and transitioned seamlessly into The Island. The set definitely leaned towards material from The Crane Wife, which was fine with me because that album is fantastic. For the encore they also treated us to a b-side from that album entitled, Culling Of The Fold.

In addition to the excellent tunes, Colin Meloy didn't fail to entertain the crowd in other ways as well. He thanked everyone for coming out tonight, even if it meant walking through The 'Loin. He regaled us with a tale of his walk to the venue that night, which involved him witnessing "the most blatant crack deal he'd ever seen".

Later on in the set Colin reached down into the crowd, mid-song, and got someone's cell phone. He then proceeded to type on it for a while. I assumed he was sending a text message to someone, but after a bit he held the phone up to his ear and then when he started singing again, held it to the microphone. After the song was over, he gave the cell phone back and said "by the way, that was his mom that I called." How great is that?

One last thing I need to add, is that The Warfield is one of my least favorite venues in SF. The main reason being that the sound is typically really bad. However, last night I thought the sound was pretty good, so yay for that.

All in all it was a really fun show. If you've not heard of The Decemberists before, you should definitely check them out and if you have a chance to catch them live, I highly recommend doing so.

A rough set list:

The Crane Wife

• The Crane Wife 3
• The Island: Come & See/The Landlord's Daughter/You'll Not Feel The Drowning
• Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)
• O Valencia!
• The Perfect Crime #2
• Shankill Butchers
• Sons and Daughters
• The Crane Wife 1&2
• Culling of the Fold (b-side)

Picaresque

• We Both Go Down Together
• The Engine Drive
• 16 Military Wives

Castaways and Cutouts

• Odalisque
• A Cautionary Song
• The Legionnaire's Lament

Matt Nathanson at Sweetwater

Matt is currently on tour with Carbon Leaf, but before he left for the tour he did a special Bay Area show, which I (along with several of my co-workers) happily attended.

The show was at the SweetWater Saloon in Mill Valley (just north of SF), which was a fantastic, tiny venue. We ended up being only 3 or 4 rows back from the front, which was great. Matt came out wearing a larger sombrero, and thanked us all for coming because he knew everyone was only there because they "couldn't get tickets to see Guns N Roses" who were also playing that night. To ease the pain, he treated us to the intro of Sweet Child O' Mine. Oh, and he also invented a new word: pyronecrobestiality. Don't ask...

The set was a good mix of classic Matt songs and a bunch of stuff from the new full band album coming out later this fall. Highlight of the set was almost certainly the full band version of the new song Detroit Waves. Matt played that song solo when I saw him back in May and I loved it then. And the full band version rocked just as hard as expected.

It's been too long since the show for me to remember many more specific details, but needless to say, Matt was as entertaining as always. Also, I got my first ever setlist! I saw it setting on the keyboard after the show when I went back to the bathroom, but I felt kind of bad about just yoinking it, so I didn't. However, when I came out of the bathroom, Aaron (the keyboardist) was there putting equipment away, so I asked if I could have the set list and he said "Sure! It's not totally accurate, but it's all yours." w00t!

If his tour is coming near you, I highly recommend you go...I guarantee you will enjoy it. I know I'm hoping he does another special SF show after the tour ends.

Coming Home

Oh, New Found Glory, where to start. If you know me at all, you know the special place NFG holds in my music world. Their first full length, Nothing Gold Can Stay, is what got me into this whole scene, and as such is held on quite a high pedestal. None of New Found Glory's album's since then can touch that album (though their self-titled follow up comes as close as any). And honestly, I've liked each new album just a bit less than the previous one.

So, how does their newest release, Coming Home, fit in? Unfortunately, it continues the trend (perhaps a little too much). My first experience with anything from the album was the release of the single It's Not You Fault. I liked the sound of the song, but the lyrics left a bit to be desired (which I would come to find would be my feelings about the album as a whole). Then I had my first listen to the entire album on their PureVolume page a few days before its release. A few songs stood out as being quite good (Coming Home and Familiar Landscapes in particular), but in general I was pretty disappointed.

However, I wasn't ready to write the album off completely, as Mike did. I still picked it up the week of its release, and have given it a number of listens since. And I have to say it's slowly been growing on me. Jordan sounds fantastic on this album and I like the variety of instruments used in the songs. As for other songs that have caught my attention besides the two mentioned above: There's something irresistibly catchy about Hold My Hand, despite it's simple lyrics and When I Die is a touching tribute to Chad's dad. I also really like Golden, which is a b-side from the Japanese release.

Unfortunately though, I still have to say this is definitely my least favorite New Found Glory album. I really can't stand the song Connected. And I'm really disappointed with most of the lyrics. Most of the songs are really, really repetitive and the cheesiness of a lot of the lines is almost too much for me to handle. For instance the chorus of the opening song: "I don't want to be without you, I don't want to live without you, I don't want to breathe without you, You're my oxygen" That song is titled Oxygen, if you couldn't guess. And from Connected: "Soon I'll be home from all this work and I'll make love to you (make love to you)". Come on guys, I miss lines like: "in the bright of day, it might seem like the stars are gone, they never leave, they come back when the sun moves on" and "too stubborn, too ignorant, too crazy about you, I didn't know love was blind" and "I sat and stared at the sky, I knew I'd find myself there again, I wonder how else to cope with the air, the air that brings me this luck, I'm unlucky, that's just me".

Despite my disappointment in the new album, I'm still really looking forward to seeing them in October (with Cartel and The Early November!). NFG has never disappointed me with their live show, and I've even come to like some songs more after hearing them played live, so I have no doubts I'll enjoy the show. I'm hoping we'll get a good dose of classic NFG songs along with new stuff, but I'm not going to get my hopes up too high.

Coming Home

Oh, New Found Glory, where to start. If you know me at all, you know the special place NFG holds in my music world. Their first full length, Nothing Gold Can Stay, is what got me into this whole scene, and as such is held on quite a high pedestal. None of New Found Glory's album's since then can touch that album (though their self-titled follow up comes as close as any). And honestly, I've liked each new album just a bit less than the previous one.

So, how does their newest release, Coming Home, fit in? Unfortunately, it continues the trend (perhaps a little too much). My first experience with anything from the album was the release of the single It's Not You Fault. I liked the sound of the song, but the lyrics left a bit to be desired (which I would come to find would be my feelings about the album as a whole). Then I had my first listen to the entire album on their PureVolume page a few days before its release. A few songs stood out as being quite good (Coming Home and Familiar Landscapes in particular), but in general I was pretty disappointed.

However, I wasn't ready to write the album off completely, as Mike did. I still picked it up the week of its release, and have given it a number of listens since. And I have to say it's slowly been growing on me. Jordan sounds fantastic on this album and I like the variety of instruments used in the songs. As for other songs that have caught my attention besides the two mentioned above: There's something irresistibly catchy about Hold My Hand, despite it's simple lyrics and When I Die is a touching tribute to Chad's dad. I also really like Golden, which is a b-side from the Japanese release.

Unfortunately though, I still have to say this is definitely my least favorite New Found Glory album. I really can't stand the song Connected. And I'm really disappointed with most of the lyrics. Most of the songs are really, really repetitive and the cheesiness of a lot of the lines is almost too much for me to handle. For instance the chorus of the opening song: "I don't want to be without you, I don't want to live without you, I don't want to breathe without you, You're my oxygen" That song is titled Oxygen, if you couldn't guess. And from Connected: "Soon I'll be home from all this work and I'll make love to you (make love to you)". Come on guys, I miss lines like: "in the bright of day, it might seem like the stars are gone, they never leave, they come back when the sun moves on" and "too stubborn, too ignorant, too crazy about you, I didn't know love was blind" and "I sat and stared at the sky, I knew I'd find myself there again, I wonder how else to cope with the air, the air that brings me this luck, I'm unlucky, that's just me".

Despite my disappointment in the new album, I'm still really looking forward to seeing them in October (with Cartel and The Early November!). NFG has never disappointed me with their live show, and I've even come to like some songs more after hearing them played live, so I have no doubts I'll enjoy the show. I'm hoping we'll get a good dose of classic NFG songs along with new stuff, but I'm not going to get my hopes up too high.

Let's Tune Out By Turning On The Radio

Just got back from seeing The Format with Anathallo, Street To Nowhere, and Rainer Maria at Slim's. What a fantastic show!

Calista met me at Apple around 5 and we stopped by the always tasty Tacos Jalapa before heading up to the city. Traffic was really light the whole way, so we were there in plenty of time. It was just after 6 when we walked by Slim's and a line had already started to form (doors didn't open until 7). We didn't really feel like standing in line for a while so we walked around the area a bit and Calista found some interesting things to photograph.

We got back to Slim's around 6:45 or got our tickets from the will call window. The line for the door was a bit longer then when we were by earlier, but still wasn't too bad. We ended up waiting right next to The Format's bus, and after a while, Nate came out, much to the delight of this about 12 year old boy who had been waiting by the bus to get an autograph.

Once inside, I picked up one of The Format t-shirts (it's gray with the outline of a dog on it saying "Arf") and then we each got a pear cider (thanks to Corey for turning me onto that particular beverage a few weeks ago) from the bar.

Anathallo opened up the show, and were just as good as I had heard (including blowing up balloons during one song and releasing them into the crowd). They only played 5 or 6 songs, but said they'll be back in October or November at Bottom of the Hill. You'll definitely find me at that show.

Local band Street To Nowhere played next. I enjoyed their music, but what made really made their set enjoyable was how happy and excited they were just to be on stage playing. Also it seems a few of the band member's parents were in the crowd just in front of us and video taping it. Kinda cool.

The last opener was Rainer Maria. They were ok, but I really didn't get into them. I did comment to Calista that the bass player looked at bit like Charlie from Lost, to which she responded "oh, you're so hooked...and I take full credit".

Finally, The Format took the stage and opened up with Dog Problems (one of my favorite songs on their album of the same name). Their set is definitely in my top 5 all time. They were that good. Just full of energy and everyone was singing along with every song. They played every song that I really wanted to hear, including The First Single, On Your Porch, Tune Out, Janet, Snails, Inches and Falling, If Work Permits, and the aforementioned Dog Problems. My favorite song of the night was definitely On Your Porch (it's quite possibly my favorite song of theirs). A very, very close second was If Work Permits, which they ended the show with (transitioning directly from Inches and Falling just like on the album). Calista and I were both saying before the show that we really hoped they'd play that song, so that was the perfect end to an amazing set.

The Format's Setlist (approximate song order)

• Dog Problems
• Tie The Rope
• Wait, Wait, Wait
• Janet
• Give It Up
• Sore Thumb
• She Doesn't Get It
• Snails
• On Your Porch
• The First Single
• I'm Ready, I Am
• The Compromise

-----Encore--------

• Time Bomb
• Tune Out
• Inches and Falling
• If Work Permits

Death Cab at The Greek

Nick and I went to the Death Cab for Cutie show in Berkeley and it was a fantastic show as expected. Unfortunately, we got there a little late and missed Mates of State. By the time we got into venue, Spoon had just started playing. I enjoyed their set, especially given the fact that I wasn't all that familiar with their stuff (which is something I definitely need to remedy).

Death Cab put on a great set, which favored songs from Transatlanticism and Plans as well some of their standard older "hits" (We Laugh Indoors, Photobooth, Movie Script Ending). Making the night even more special was the fact that it was Ben Gibbard's 30th birthday. Towards the later half of the set, Chris Walla told the crowd that 9 years ago today, they had taken a road trip to San Francisco for Ben's 21st birthday and they had just recorded You Can Play These Songs With Chords. And that they never thought they'd still be doing this 9 years late.

Highlights of the set for me included Title and Registration, What Sarah Said (even though the crowd cheering after Ben sang the line "Love is watching someone die" was lame), the long instrumental breakdown in the middle of We Looked Like Giants, featuring Ben on his own drum set, and closing with Transatlanticism. This was my third time seeing Death Cab, and they have never disappointed. They're definitely a band I want to catch every time they're in the area.

Set List

• Passenger Seat
• Different Names For The Same Thing
• The New Year
• We Laugh Indoors
• Title and Registration
• Crooked Teeth
• Company Calls
• Company Calls Epilogue
• Soul Meets Body
• What Sarah Said
• Your Heart Is An Empty Room
• A Movie Script Ending
• The Sound Of Settling
• Photobooth
• Expo '86
• We Looked Like Giants
• Transatlanticism

Encore

• I Will Follow You Into The Dark (solo acoustic by Ben)
• I'm Coming Home (Sonics cover)
• Marching Bands of Manhattan

Straylight Run in the Studio

Straylight Run are currently in the studio recording their new album. The cool thing is, they have setup Flickr and YouTube accounts to keep fans posted throughout the recording process. That's really great idea, more bands seriously need to do this. (Thanks to AP.net for dropping this knowledge on me)

Brand New at The Fillmore

Last week, Nick and I went to see Brand New at The Fillmore. I've been anticipating this show more than any other show I've ever been to. I've literally been waiting 3 solid years to see Brand New. The last time I had a chance to see them was in 2003, just after Deja Entendu came out. They played somewhere in SF, but it was when I was at Apple during my internship, and I didn't have a car and wasn't familiar enough with the trains to get up there, so I ended up not getting a ticket to the show, thinking I'd surely be able to see them again soon enough.

Fortunately, the show was totally worth the wait. From opening note of Tautou to the incredibly moving closing of Play Crack the Sky, I was riveted. Deja Entendu is one of the best albums of all time, so hearing those songs (they played everything except Good to Know) live for the first time was just amazing, particularly Sic Transit Gloria and Okay, I Believe You But My Tommygun Don't. They also played a handful of songs off of Your Favorite Weapon (including SoCo Amaretto Lime, which thrilled me to no end) and a few new songs from their new album coming out this fall.

Though they didn't speak to the crowd a whole lot, there were a few, what I consider classic Jesse lines. First before playing Me vs Maradona vs Elvis, he says something like "So when we've been playing this song, people always cheer at this one part, and I don't know why. It's not happy song. When I wrote this song, I never expected people to be cheering about it". The song's basically about a guy that leads a girl just for a one night stand and regretting it and the line people cheered at was "it's ladies' night, all the girls drink for free". The other classic moment was towards the end of the set, when he was thanking the crowd and said "You guys have been probably the best audience on this tour". Just in the way he said it, he totally conveyed the "yes, I say this at every show, but you're going to cheer anyway" and of course we all did. The way he said it reminds me of the way he sings the line, "I would kill for the Atlantic, but I am paid to make girls panic while I sing".

So throughout their set, it seemed to me like Jesse was a bit distracted, or just depressed. I wasn't really expecting a lot of crowd interaction, but still something seemed a bit off. And when Jesse came back on stage to do the solo acoustic Play Crack the Sky, we found out why. He said he had something to say, but he wasn't sure exactly how to say it. He wanted to apologize if he seemed detached, but his head was in another place entirely. He said he didn't think he'd ever regret bringing his brother on this tour, but for an hour or two this afternoon, he did. He then said this song goes out to my brother and my parents and it will take more than a truck to tear us apart. And then he started playing Play Crack the Sky, which is a rather sad song to begin with. Coupled with this extra emotion, it was an incredibly touching experience. He played up until the last or second to last time before the chorus, and then he just sort of stopped. Vinnie came out and the two of them hugged for a few seconds and Vinnie walked off stage. I thought Jessie would leave as well, but he picked up his guitar and finished the song flawlessly. An incredibly emotional end to an amazing show.

On our way out of the venue I overheard one of the Fillmore employees talking and he said yes, the lead singer's brother got hit by a truck earlier in the day and was in the hospital, and they weren't even sure if they were going to do the show until about 5 minutes before the show was supposed to start. But I guess at that point, his brother was in pretty stable condition. I haven't heard anything about how his brother is doing, by I can only hope and pray he's making a speedy recovery.

Radiohead at the Greek

I went to see Radiohead at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley a few weeks ago with Nick, John, and Dan. This was my first time seeing Radiohead live, and wow, was it incredible. I feel like I should be able to write more about this show, but words can't do it justice. When they left the stage prior to the first encore, I couldn't believe they had already been playing for over an hour. Fortunately they came back for a 5 song encore, and a 2 song second encore.

Highlights of the show included the Paranoid Android, No Surprises, The Gloaming run in the middle of the set; True Love Waits transitioning seamlessly into Everything In Its Right Place; opening with Airbag; and the new song Bodysnatchers.

Here's the full set list.

I cannot wait to see Radiohead again. And if at all possible, I want to catch both shows the next time they are around. Normally I'm skeptical of seeing a band twice in a row, but given that there was pretty much zero overlap with their set the previous night, it would definitely be worth it. And if you've never seen them before, I highly recommend you do so as soon as possible.