concert schedule

[SkaPunkAndOtherJunk]

i know! i lucked out haha.

few weeks after that is pietasters, new model army, and maybe loudon wainwright III. good to finally be in a busy scene again.

[Irish Rover]

got quite a few shows in the next few weeks!

tonight for my 29th birthday: less than jake, reel big fish, AAA @ roseland nyc
saturday: gogol bordello @ roseland nyc
weds: devotchka at spiegeltent, nyc
thurs: warped tour in scranton, pa
aug 3rd: dropkick murphys and aggrolites, scranton pa

woohoo! i'll hopefully be taking pictures for all of them.

Very nice

[O'Blivion]

My son and I had a splendid time at the They Might Be Giants show at the Chameleon in Lancaster PA. It was an all-ages show in a bar, so all under-agers (and their non-drinking dads) were relegated to the balcony. We scored the last two spots at the rail above the bandstand and had great views of the band.

From my vantage point I could see at least five or six audience members who looked like Comic Book Guy. Definitely a geekier than normal crowd, but not entirely...I was surprised by how many young people I saw singing along with stuff from their new album which just came out last week, and how many people recognized their 80s obscurities like "Hi We're The Replacements" and their show closer, "James K. Polk". Although I wasn't the only old guy there, the audience was mainly teens and 20-somethings, much younger than the two Johns, who are closer to my age. It was refreshing to see so many smart, hip kids - at least I assume they were smart and hip, as they seemed to get all the jokes.

The other time I saw TMBG was in the 80s when they were a duo playing along with a reel-to-reel tape deck. They were fun and absurd then, more performance artists than musicians . They're still absurdists but now they have a cracking 3-piece band to augment their guitar and keyboard/accordion combo. The band really shone on the material from the new album, The Else. Older stuff like "Puppet Head" had a looser, punkier feel.

It was a surprisingly rockin' show. It wouldn't be mistaken for Megadeath or anything, but we both really enjoyed it.


Setlist:

I'm Impressed, Take Out the Trash, Alphabet of Nations, Damn Good Times, Asbury Park, Experimental Film, Careful What You Pack, They Got Lost, Birdhouse In Your Soul, The Shadow Government, We're The Replacements, Upside Down Frown, Particle Man, Contrecoup, New York City, Withered Hope, Put Your Hand Inside the Puppet Head, Ana Ng, Doctor Worm, Drink!, The Mesopotamians

E1: With the Dark, Istanbul
E2: It's Not My Birthday, The Famous Polka, James K. Polk

[Clash Cadillac]

My son and I had a splendid time at the They Might Be Giants show

So I take it you were "cool" rather than "pathetic"...?

Nice review by the way.

[Maldoror]

Amphi Festival (Köln) yesterday. Great performances by Front Line Assembly, Apoptygma Berzerk and Zeromancer.

Blue Note Records Festival: DJ Shadow was good, Amon Tobin and Elvis Costello feat. Alan Toussaint were fantastic.

Next weekend: Gothic Festival in Waregem. Yay!

[firehazard]

The Cambridge fest is this weekend, starting this evening.

This evening we're planning to see Seasick Steve, Kris Drever and Alabama 3.
Tomorrow's plans include Steve Earle, Oysterband and Sharon Shannon, and many more. Maybe including the Waterboys, though I'm not sure I can be arsed to see them...
Saturday's plans include Ms Baez, Ms Rusby and a whole host of others.
Sunday's too far away to work out yet.

All these viewing plans may well change, or I may get stuck in the mud, or I may get distracted and involved in a session in the Guinness tent. Who knows? Should be fun, though...

[territa]

So, Firehazard, how was it? (For those of us living vicariously.)

[firehazard]

So, Firehazard, how was it? (For those of us living vicariously.)

Territa, it was fantastic! This morning, for once I'm a bit lost for words. Though when my head has cleared (damn fine Guinness they serve) I'll do a more coherent report.

Oh... just one highlight was Steve Earle appearing on stage to sing Galway Girl with Sharon Shannon. To the apparent amazement of Ms Shannon and her band.

And for a taster, there are various vids here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/cambridgefolkfestival/2007/

[firehazard]

Slightly fuller report, one day on:

Excellent festival as ever. Great music, great atmosphere, some really nice people and some brilliant beers.
Musical highlights were: Seasick Steve with his hobo blues.
The brilliant Kris Drever, with and without the rest of Lau.
Steve Earle, who for once didn't talk that much but just played his music. Though when he did talk it was must-listen stuff. He also turned up on stage with three of the other acts on the day he played (including an unexpected rendition of Galway Girl with Sharon Shannon, as above).
Joan Baez (looking great as ever, dublinrambler), who'd previously appeared on stage to dance with a bunch of Romanian brass players, to their amazement (I'm not convinced they knew who she was).
The completely gorgeous Kate Rusby, launching her new album (of which I now have a copy a month or so before it's released).
A great set from Rachel Unthank and The Winterset. Excellent live band, well worth catching if you get the chance.
A rare appearance from Four Men and a Dog.
Bellowhead, who are a great live act and brought the house down at the end.
And many others which I'll remember in due course.
Great weekend. Still knackered.

[territa]

Excellent festival as ever. Great music, great atmosphere, some really nice people and some brilliant beers.
Musical highlights were: ... Steve Earle, who for once didn't talk that much but just played his music. Though when he did talk it was must-listen stuff. He also turned up on stage with three of the other acts on the day he played (including an unexpected rendition of Galway Girl with Sharon Shannon, as above). ...
Great weekend. Still knackered.

What a great time! It's been two years since I've seen Steve Earle (his Jerusalem tour). He always puts on a great show.

Sharon Shannon appears on his "Sidetracks" album. She and her band play with him on a tune called Dominick St., which I love.

[firehazard]

Sharon Shannon appears on his "Sidetracks" album. She and her band play with him on a tune called Dominick St., which I love.

Sharon has a new album, "Renegade", with a great bunch of musicians. On the whole it's a good album, and they do some interesting things on it. One or two tracks I just don't get, but it's worth a listen. It's not released for a few weeks, but one of the advantages of the fest is that you can often get hold of early album releases.

Oh, and there's a good vid of Steve Earle doing "Copperhead Road" at the fest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/cambridgefo ... teveearle/

[territa]

Darn the luck, it won't play for me. But I did enjoy the pictures. Reminds me of Willie Nelson's 4th of July picnic in Gonzales Texas in the late '70s. Nothing there but hippies and kickers. I spent three nights camped out with my brother and his mates under a tarp. Fascinating sociological experiment. One day, I think it was Saturday, we were approached by a guy asking us to look for his wife's wedding ring -- I actually found it a foot away from where I was sitting. He was ecstatic. Fast forward to 2004, we're playing free pool at Barney's on Sunday in SA, and Larry plays some David Allen Coe on the juke box. I start in on my story about the concert in Gonzales where I heard him live, and Larry finishes it with his story about his then pregnant wife mad as hell at him and flinging her wedding ring into the crowd. He was proud of the fact that he'd found it (wished he'd left it). Small world!

[firehazard]

Darn the luck, it won't play for me.

Ah, shame. It's a good vid, so sorry I don't have any idea how you might be able to make it work. My knowledge of such things doesn't go much beyond "Try clicking it again..." Which isn't much help.

Loved your story, though! There's nothing better than a good sociological experiment.

Oh, there's a highlights package from the fest that can be listened to (if you can make it work), for the next few days, here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/folk/harding/. Includes Mr Earle doing "Rich Man's War".

Have just bought tickets to see Rachel Unthank and The Winterset.
And also Idlewild. Roddy Woomble was at the fest doing his folkie thing. Vid here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/cambridgefo ... deronesky/

[Irish Rover]

Oh, and there's a good vid of Steve Earle doing "Copperhead Road" at the fest here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/cambridgefo ... teveearle/

Thanks for that firehazard

Seems to be playing ok for me

[georgecat]

yes, thanks for the video!!!

Tossers and Street Dogs tonight woooohoooooooooo