Hey! Today we have a day off in Texas (yay!) and I will update a little show info including merch prices and a set list during the next two days. I have a lot to catch up with for pictures and stuff so I will hopefully be able to work on it tonight and tomorrow.

Last nights show was interesting, whoever decided to have a show at 4:30 in the afternoon? There was a decent sized crowd but they were very non responsive during songs. Inbetween songs they expressed enjoyment but other than that it was an odd show for me to watch from the sidelines. I am Ghost had a friend come in and work their merch table for the night, Rosanna, and she was completely rad! She went on stage to fill in some nice backing vocals for I Am Ghost during 2 songs. It was a nice throwback to the days when they had a female in the band. I know very little about it other than the beautiful harmonies in the back track of one of their live songs. Either way, it was a nice change up for their set.

Afterwards we had some time to hang out with the boys in Dommin for dinner. If you haven’t taken a look at their myspace page, you should take a quick listen to get a feel for the music they write but be prepared to have their performance blow you away. They didnt strike me as being a band I would like until I saw them perform. Chris’ vocals feel more real in person. Just wait til you see it for yourself.

We tried to get all 3 bands out to the same place for dinner but the chosen meeting place had changed locations. So we had a nice mile long trek to a newly relocated Tijuana Flatts in Orlando, enjoyed some fantastic mexican food and a nice walk along a man made pond. We grabbed some drinks at a bar down the road from the venue, where everyone cut loose and relaxed. Chad was the entertainment of the night, dancing his ass off to the AMAZING local 80’s cover band. Some woman in a taco suit danced with him for a few steps. I really hope some of it is on video.

The free show was sponsored by KPRI for its listeners who picked up free tickets from locations around San Diego. Fresh from Coachella, Paolo and his band played an outdoor set in Del Mar Plaza which overlooked the beach. It was the perfect day and really reminds me of why i love San Diego so much.

Playing a 9 song set of mostly new material, Paolo went off the set list playing a few extra songs for the increasing crowd that had gathered. The new songs sounded a lot more folky and featured a greater variety of instrumentation than his debut record These Streets . His band included the addition of a harmonica and sax player. I’ve always been impressed by his soulful voice especially on the slower numbers like “Last Request” but it is clear with the new material that he’s heading in a away from the rock/ pop direction.

Set List

Alloway Grove
High Hopes
Candy
Growing Up Beside You
New Shoes
Pencil Full of Lead
Coming Up Easy
Down in Mexico
Jenny Don’t Be Hasty

The stage was adorned with a plethora of silk flowers, orchids and stuffed animals. It was like an exotic garden to set the tone of rachael’s newest release Elephants…Teeth Sinking Into Heart. She kicked off the set with a beautiful rendition of “Elephants” and followed with some of the more well known numbers which really got the crowd going. During “Reason Why”, members of the audience who could sing were invited onstage to sing along. I have to give props to the girl on center stage because she actually knew all the lyrics and did a good job. I was really happy with the song selection tonight since i was able to hear all my favorite songs including an instrumental version of “Elephants” which i didn’t expect. Also a nice surprise was “Duet” which was not a duet but featured Rachael singing both vocal parts. I also really enjoyed the harder rock numbers like “Sidedish Friend” which really gave the band a chance to rock out.

Set List

Elephants
Be Your Love
What If I Leave
Faster
Worn Me Down
Letter Read
Elephants (instrumental)
Even So
Duet (solo)
Little Life
Over + Over
Sidedish Friend
Accident
Sunday Afternoon
————————————-
Reason Why

First off, thank you to whoever DJ’d before and in between sets because the song selection was SO GOOD! Probably the best I’ve heard. Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head was a really fun opening band with a great presence. They managed to get most of the crowd dancing to their catchy beats. Anyways, onto Lily’s set.

Her set was so much fun! Not only did she have this great stage set up (lights/ letters spelled out Lily) but her voice was in great condition and she couldn’t have been more involved with the audience. Most of the crowd was singing, clapping and dancing to her music. Her set consisted of mostly new material with partially remixed versions of several songs and medleys which really helped to move the show along. Some of the remixes had too much bass but they were fairly short segments so it was ok. I wished that she played the full version of “LDN” but that didn’t happen. I think she is one of the few people that can sing “Fuck You” and still have it sound cute. Oh and not to mention she is really cute onstage. I’m a big fan of Lily’s music and tonight was another reason to add to the list.

Set List
Everyone’s At It (House Remix)
I Could Say
Never Gonna Happen
Oh My God/ Everything’s Just Wonderful
Him
Who’d Have Known
LDN- Dance Wiv Me
Go Back To The Start
He Wasn’t There
Littlest Things
Chinese
22
Not Fair
Fuck You
Smile- Drum & Bass
The Fear- Day & Night
Womanizer (Britney Spears Cover)

Lily Allen @ HOB SD

Lily Allen @ House of Blues San Diego 4/1/09

Lily during "Him"

The special event was a collaboration between M83’s Anthony Gonzales and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (conducted by Julian Kuerti). M83’s digitally created music would appear to have little in common with an orchestra. But, conductor Julian Kuerti and Anthony Gonzales have have chose two pieces of music to bridge the gap between M83’s technologically heavy music and the classical offerings of the LA Phil.

The night was broken down into 3 distinct sets:
1) M83 Solo
2) The LA Phil performing Arvo Pärt’s ‘Fratres’ and Debussy’s La Mer
3) M83 and the LA Phil performing M83 songs

Anthony kicked off his set solo with 3 ambient songs (i think they were off of Digital Shades Vol. 1). Being inside the Concert Hall with its amazing sound magnified the musical experience. Switching between his Mac, keys, and sampler he sculpted sonic landscapes. The darkness of the hall save for a purple key light on Anthony was like being in a sensory deprivation chamber and you couldn’t focus on anything but the music. This helped build the tension created by M83’s undulating atmospherics.

The second segment featured the LA Philharmonic performing Arvo Pärt’s ‘Fratres’. I thought the piece was a great transition from M83’s transcendental digitally infused songs to the bleak and harmonically rich ‘Fratres” piece. The LA Phil then played all 3 movements in Debussy’s “La Mer” which was beautifully moving.

The finale brought M83 and the LA Phil back to the stage to interpret Anthony’s music in an orchestral way. Collaborator Morgan Kibby was brought out to on play a few songs. The first, on piano for “Lower Your Eyelids to Die With The Sun”. The song started off with a simple piano part and escalated as the choir added their voices to the song. Being one of my favorite songs, it was also one of my favorites of the night. “The Highest Journey” was the perfect song to close out the set with- the listener’s auditory journey with Anthony and the LA Phil had come to an end and i wasn’t ready to leave yet.

Several times during the set, i was so moved that there were tears in my eyes. I don’t think i am able to accurately describe how transcendental and epic this experience was. I was completely enraptured by what M83 and the Los Angeles Philharmonic was able to accomplish by coupling modern and classical music.

LA Phil and M83:
Lower Your Eyelids to Die With the Sun (morgan on piano)
Moonchild (morgan on keyboards)
Pioneer (Bloc Party cover/ remix)
In The Cold I’m Standing
The Highest Journey (morgan on vocals)

Joshua Radin’s Set List

Free of Me
Sky
Winter
No Envy
Vegetable Car
One of Those Days
Growing Up
We’re Ok
Fear You Won’t Fall
Today
She’s So Right
What If You
Rather Be With You
Closer
Bring It

Meiko’s Set List
Piano Song
Hiding
Under My Bed
Reasons To Love You
Shitty Apartment
Hawaii
Good Looking Loser
Boys with Girlfriends
Real Real Sweet

Jesse Harris at the Belly Up

I’m in the process of posting photos from the shows I never got the chance to write about.

Out of all the shows i wrote about this year in music, the following were my favorite:

Amanda Palmer @ Henry Fonda Theatre

Snow Patrol @ House of Blues San Diego, 12.13.08

Swell Season @ SDSU Open Air Theater 10.3.08

Goldfrapp @ The Orpheum 9.21.08

The Duke Spirit @ The Troubadour 5.10.08

The Ting Tings @ The Troubadour 6.13.08

Ingrid Michaelson @ House of Blues San Diego 11.5.08

I have been lucky enough to see Amanda Palmer play the Troubadour earlier this year along with the Dresden Dolls twice (also this year) and she was wonderful during all three performances. However, tonight’s “performance” with the Danger Ensemble has taken my idea of showmanship to a completely higher plane. Part performance art combined with Amanda’s vision for her music, the show is what I dream of having the opportunity to write about. The band consisted of Amanda, Zoe Keating on cello and Lyndon on Violin. As a result, it was a very classical arrangement. The band played a mix of Dresden Dolls material and Amanda’s solo songs while a theatrical group called the Danger Ensemble interpreted some of the songs. By performance art, i don’t mean the stereotypical over the top throwing blood on yourself and interpreting it as the beginning of life type art. no no no. They created poetry through their movements making Amanda’s songs seem grandiose but not in a corny way.

Set List
Intro
Dirge/ Neil Gaiman
stage entrance/ Astronaut
Ampersand
Blake Says
Bad Habit (Dresden Dolls)
I Want You But I Don’t Need You (Dresden Dolls)
Strength Through Music
Guitar Hero
(guitar auction)
Oasis
Coin Operated Boy (Dresden Dolls)
Ask Amanda
Trout Heart Replica (new song)
Have To Drive
Half Jack (Dresden Dolls)
Umbrella (Rhianna cover)
I Google You
Who Killed Amanda Palmer Answers
I Kissed A Girl (w/ special guest Katy Perry and Margaret Cho)
Leeds United

The set began with a dirge was played by Amanda’s band and surprise guest, NEIL GAIMAN (the inner fangirl in me got really excited) came out to read an elegy he wrote about the death of Amanda Palmer. Amanda then made a grand entrance walking through the crowd complete with veil until members of the Danger Ensemble lifted her onto the stage. This set the stage (pun intended) for the show.

Blake Says captured that loneliness and isolation of the song. Another beautiful demonstration of Amanda’s piano playing. Strength Through Music, one of my favorite songs from her solo record makes my heart wrench. The song was composed of Lyndon read the names of the injured victims in the Virginia Tech shooting. Amanda, repeated a simple piano chord drilling into your heart the tragedy of the song. The lip synching performances of Guitar Hero, I Kissed A Girl, and Umbrella was a blast to watch. It injected a different type of playful gaiety in between the otherwise somber songs and riled the crowd up. The audience was also graced with a new piano ballad called “Trout Heart Replica”. Its a song of yearning and about soldiering on despite everything.

With the Dresden Dolls, I never realized what a talent Amanda is on piano/ keyboards. Her solo material reflects not only her ability to pound away like a mad scientist but how classically inspired and cinematic her playing style is. Zoe on cello and Lyndon on violin was brilliant accompanying Amanda because it made her material sound more somber like her record. Particularly impressive was the dueling violin, cello, and piano parts during “Half Jack”.

Thank you Amanda and the Danger Ensemble- your art makes the world a better place. I’m a firm believer that great music not only has the power to break your heart but it also has the ability to heal you. I have never been this moved by any performance- from laughing through “Umbrella” to being shaken to the core by “Ampersand” and tearing up through “Strength Through Music”… This show made me experience the spectrum of emotions. I vehemently recommend catching Amanda’s performances. This show has effectively closed out my year of shows on an apex and I couldn’t be any happier.

Check out the rest of my photos from the night on my Flickr Page

Snow Patrol has met much success in the last few years with “Chasing Cars” being played on Grey’s Anatomy, other television series and films. Therefore, its a rare opportunity to catch the band in a small venue such as the House of Blues. Three out of the handful of shows was presented by Shockhound as a sort of warm up/ press tour before the band heads out on a major U.S. tour next year.

First off, I was very unhappy with how The House of Blues staff allowed the pass the line program to be in effect because the show was supposed to be a private event. There were some people in line since noon waiting to get inside and the pass the line participants were allowed in before them. Ranting aside, lets move onto the show…

Set List

If There’s a Rocket Tie Me To It
Chocolate
Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands
How To Be Dead
Run
The Golden Floor
Shut Your Eyes
Chasing Cars
Make This Go On Forever
Crack The Shutters
Take Back The City
You’re All I Have (aborted)
You’re All I Have
————————————————-
You Are My Joy (Reindeer Section) dedicated to the birthday girl
The Lightning Strike
Open Your Eyes

The band played a solid set with all of my personal favorites spanning all 3 studio releases.
Accompanying the band was an additional acoustic guitar player and Richard Colburn from Belle and Sebastian on percussion.

In between songs, when not telling strange metaphors or drawing disturbing analogies, Gary was jittering around as if he was channeling a less epileptic Ian Curtis. I was surprised by how similar and rich his vocals sounded in comparison to the records.

Once “Chocolate” started, they even had me become a swooning fan girl. It was during “The Golden Floor” when you could really hear Colburn’s contributions to the song. On “Shut Your Eyes”, Gary organized a little crowd participation by inviting the more than enthusiastic women to sing the chorus. After, he even managed to get the reluctant boyfriend’s in the audience singing the chorus. By the end of the song, even the men were cheering for more. During the opening bars of “Chasing Cars” you could almost feel had every woman in the room gasp. Don’t worry Gary, I’m sure every person in the room either wants to “lay here with you” or be you.

Photos and a review of the show coming up after i get some sleep.

Set List

If There’s a Rocket Tie Me To It
Chocolate
Banter
Please Just Take These Photos From My Hands
How To Be Dead
Run
The Golden Floor
Shut Your Eyes
Chasing Cars
Make This Go On Forever
Crack The Shutters
Take Back The City
You’re All I Have (aborted)
You’re All I Have
————————————————-
You Are My Joy (Reindeer Section) dedicated to the birthday girl
The Lightning Strike
Open Your Eyes

A special thanks goes out to Snow Patrol and Shockhound for providing the once in a lifetime experience of seeing Snow Patrol in an intimate setting.

I was lucky enough to catch the Smashing Pumpkins (minus Darcy) in 2000 during the Sacred and Profane tour. The show was epic. I’m almost sorry I went to the RIMAC gig because Billy & Co. was a shell of who they once were and has effectively destroyed my memory of who and what the band should be. I find the new guitarist and bassist boring and they lack the energy of a rock band. If they were inserted behind a curtain with Billy and Jimmy placed front and center, I wouldn’t have noticed. However, the addition of a keyboardists, violinist and the trumpet players were quite nice. The additonaly instrumentation sounded really beautiful on “Tonight Tonight”, one of the few songs played during the night that sounded like the original version. My main gripe with the performance wasn’t that the songs were changed into unreconizable rock versions with guitar solos but that Billy didn’t seem into the show until the very end when thanking San Diego for their support. Sure, the songs showcased Billy’s amazing guitar work but everything was dissapointing.

what i got of the set list:

Superchrist
As Rome Burns
Bullet
Bodies
Gossamer
Tonight, Tonight
Song For A Son
Eye
I Of the Mourning
99 Floors
Owata
The Rose March
MCIS
Tarantula
G.L.O.W.
Soma
Cherub Rock
Zero
Heavy Metal Machine
Glass
The March Hare/ Suffer

I first wrote about Ingrid Michaelson when i went to see her play at the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles and I don’t think i can do any better in describing the experience of seeing her play because the article was subsequently published in Interlude Magazine and you can view it here (I’m on page 50).

Anyways, seeing Ingrid Michaelson play is one of those experiences where every show is completely different. Her music isn’t life- changing but its fun and she puts on a damn good show.

some of the things that i love about seeing Ingrid Michaelson:
- she’s really witty and should probably have her own stand- up act
- she doesn’t get distracted or angry when her audience yells ridiculous things. Instead, she chooses to poke fun at her audience
- most of the audience knows all the words to her songs and participates when asked (one drunk girl and this has the potential to be a huge disaster but it works for her shows)
- the band plays on

The most memorable part of the night was during my favorite song “The Chain” when the fire alarms started going off making that whoooooooooh whoooooooh sound with flashing lights and the emergency message and you could tell the band wasn’t sure if they should stop playing or not. I was surprised that no one in the audience left because we were in the HOB basement level. Not only was there a potential fire but it was a huge distraction. People were so into her set that they didn’t panic or walk out. The band played on until the end of the song when we were told that the fog machine had set off the alarms accidentally. ingrid managed to banter through it and the show resumed. the fire alarm sound became the running joke of the night with people making fire alarm noises during the encore.

Set List

Die Alone
Breakable
Overboard
Corner of Your Heart
Far Away
Lady In Spain
Creep (Radiohead cover)
Be Ok
Giving Up
Everybody
Starting Now
Keep Breathing
The Hat
The Way I Am
The Chain
Locked Up (new song)
———————————-
(ingrid on drums over the crowd’s fire alarm sounds)
Can’t Help Falling In Love (Elvis cover)
You And I (With David Ford on vocals)

ingrid michaelson, newton faulkner, david ford during the Sophie’s Lounge set in the Delta Room before the show doing a cover of “Elenor Rigby” by The Beatles:

david ford:

Another lovely show from Lisa Hannigan the same day as her date at the Greek Theater with Jason Mraz. The 30+ audience was graced with a 6 song set that included some of my favorite songs off the record. Taking place in a small space between racks of cds, the atmosphere was a lot more casual than the Largo at the Coronet. The audience near the front opted to sit on the floor so that people in the back would be able to see the show. As a result, it gave the show a living room vibe that I enjoyed. On top of that, the performance was low key and quiet while the songs were uplifting.

Set List:

Sea Song
Splishy Splashy
Ocean and a rock
Venn Diagram
I Don’t Know
Lille

During the set, I could hear the nuances of the instrumentation a lot better and Donagh’s trumpet work is so vibrant (listen to “I Don’t Know”) and it is the anchor for a lot of the songs.

Thanks to Fingerprints for the beautiful posters and for arranging the in store for such a great act. A big thanks also to Lisa and her band for being so accommodating and gracious.

You may recognize Lisa Hannigan’s work with Damien Rice and The Cake Sale. Unfortunately, of the three times i have seen Damien Rice, Lisa never performed with him (There was that time when they played san diego in a tiny venue and i was 3 months away from turning 21 and I wasn’t allowed in. It was one of those shows that i will forever regret for missing.) The whole time i was watching her perform, I was only thinking of how different her solo stuff is from the songs she performed with Damien. I mean sure, Damien wrote most of the songs that Lisa sang on but her solo record also features members of Damien’s band (Vyvienne and Tomo) so you would expect songs of the same style right? wrong. The songs are mature and hit the spectrum from sleepy ballads to a drum and bass type track; yet, the record is still cohesive sounding. Listening to the record is like wearing a sweater at the beginning of autumn- its warm, fluffy, and gives you a slightly hazy feeling. This may very well be my soundtrack to the season. One of my favorite things about her music is her enunciation and how fragile she sounds- hearing how she breaks the rules of pronunciation (Listen to “Keep It All” and “Pistacio”). Live, all the nuances in Lisa’s music is magnified. For example, the Harmonium and the electric upright bass is so rich sounding and adds another layer of depth. My favorite songs of the night include Venn Diagram, I Don’t Know, Lille, and Keep It All.

Set List:
Sea Song
Splishy Splashy
Blurry (from Other Voices)
I Don’t Know (one of my favorites off the record)
The Lady Is A Tramp
Keep It All
Pistacio
Teeth
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues (Bob Dylan cover)
Venn Diagram
Ocean and a Rock
Lille
————————————–
Couldn’t Love You More
Free Until They Cut Me Down (Iron & Wine Cover)

Lisa’s voice is so unique and as sad as i am that she doesn’t perform with Damien Rice anymore; however, I’m glad that she has recorded a solo disc that features her unique feathery vocals.
If Lisa and her band play in your town, don’t miss it. At the moment she is only doing a few shows that aren’t with Jason Mraz (he’s playing large venues). Hopefully, after her record is released, she will do a more extensive tour.

Sorry but no pictures for this show! The Largo has a strict policy regarding cameras and I can’t tell you how many times i wanted to snap away. : ( But, check out some vids of her on YouTube.

Lisa peforming “Lille”:

Performing “Blurry” on Other Voices:

Lisa with Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol) performing “Some Surprise” from The Cake Sale, a charity project for Oxfam:

Here
for your chance to win a Gossip Girl “Never Have I Ever Game” as well as a copy of the Soundtrack. The contest ends on November 5th at noon Pacific Time when i will be picking a winner.

The first time I saw the Hotel Cafe Tour, it was one of the most unique concert experiences I have ever witnessed. There was no clear headlining act because it was a collaborative experience much like the Hotel Cafe itself. Musicians on the tour shared a backing band with a songwriter playing 2-3 songs then allowing the next act to do the same. For the entire duration of the show, acts would round robin and support each other musicially whether it be providing backing vocals, a duet or picking up and instrument. This tour was also unique in that it features a slew of female singer songwriters like Ingrid Michaelson, Rachael Yamagata, Kate Havenik, Anya Marina, Catherine Feeny, Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Jamay, Erin McCarley, and Holly Conlan. I was in for a surprise when the previously scheduled roster that included Priscilla Ahn and Brooke Fraser had cancelled last minute. So, we were left with Anya Marina, Meiko, Molly Jenson, Jamay, Erin McCarley, and Holly Conlan. Unlike the past tours, this gig felt drastically different- the show felt choppy, unbalanced and lacked the collaborative spirit. Only during Jaymay’s set did Meiko and Holly Conlan come out to support her musically jumping on some percussion and backing vocals for the chorus.

Anya Marina- The new songs off of Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II sounds a lot more experimental than her her first record Miss Halfway. I’m not a big fan of her music but I always find her stories/ banter hilarious.

Jaymay- definately the highlight of the night with a bunch of great songs that held my attention.

Holly Conlan- pretty voice.

Meiko- she really surprised me because i heard her recordings awhile back and i didn’t think they were special but live she’s a lot better.

anya marina:

jaymay, meiko, and holly conlan:

Jaymay:

Erin McCarley

Holly Conlan:

Molly Jenson:

Photos and review coming shortly….

Set List

Into the Mystic (Van Morrison cover)
Falling Slowly
The Moon
When Your Minds Made Up
This Low
I Have Loved You Wrong
Say It to Me Now (Glen solo, unplugged)
Astral Weeks (Van Morrison cover)
Back Broke
Happiness
Maybe I Was Born to Hold You in These Arms
Low Rising
Lies (John Carney on bass)
——Encore ———–

The Hill
If You Want Me
The Blue Shoes (Colm Mac Con Iomaire solo )
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (with songwriter Richard Sherman on piano and vocals)
Out on the Weekend (Neil Young cover, Iron & Wine on vocals)
Fitzcarraldo
People Get Ready

I will be posting a review and some photos sometime this week because im going to the Los Angeles Swell Season gig tonight.

Set List: Say It To Me Now
Falling Slowly
The Moon
When Your Mind’s Made Up
I Have Loved You Wrong
This Low
Leave
What Happens When The Heart Just Stops
Astral Weeks
Happiness
Maybe I Was Born To Hold You In These Arms
Low Rising
Lies
Encore:
——————-
If You Want Me
Blue Shoes (Colm solo)
Fitzcarraldo (This was one of my favorites for the night)
People Get Ready