First Weekend in NYC: Karen Elson, Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses

Karen Elson, Grizzly Bear, Band of Horses

To continue my concert binge through out my first weekend here, I went back to BK for some great live shows at Williamsburg Waterfront. This show was the first of 101.9 RXP concert series and while the view (the East River... the sunset... sigh...) was breathtaking, the venue coordinators were retarded. When we arrived (unfortunately, a bit fashionably late, right after Elson had finished her set), we soon realized that there were three lines (one to enter the venue, another to actually enter the GA area, which was a one-out-one-in policy, another for beer tickets, another for... something else. Why you may ask? Like I said, retarded).

When we made it through the first set of lines, Grizzly Bear had just started and we were anxious to get in ASAP. Thank god the concert was outside because even though we were not actually inside the GA area, we could hear the flawless acoustics perfectly. This is my first time seeing GB live and I was so impressed; they sounded wonderful. Lead singer Ed Droste commanded the vocals with subtle, welcoming beauty, accompanied by his fellow band members' floating and powerfully wistful harmonies. GB played a mix of tracks from older albums, like Yellow House, as well as the newest one, Veckatimist, including hits like "Knife," and "Two Weeks," respectively. Before finishing off with "While You Wait for the Others" and "On a Neck, On a Spit," Droste graciously thanked the crowd for coming out and engaged everyone to sing along as they danced and threw back their buzzed heads in the hot summer air.

Band of Horses came onstage shortly after with a rockstar pep in their step. Not only was it their last show of of the tour, it was Father's Day, and lead singer Ben Bridell was thrilled to be going back his family so soon. Ultimately, the band was ready to end their tour with a bang, and they did. I am pretty familiar with BOH's debut album Everything all the Time and a few popular tracks from Cease to Begin. Unfortunately I don't know much from their newest, Infinite Arms. Either way, BOH packed a shit ton of great music to jam out to for a full night of rock debauchery - a sixteen track set list plus a four track encore. They played a couple of my (well-known) favorites - Funeral, The Great Salt Lake, No One's Gonna Love You, as well as some other great ones that I have never heard before but was glad to be introduced to for the first time live. 

The crowd didn't want Band of Horses to leave the stage, and it was clear they didn't want to leave either. While the first half of the set was obviously dedicated to the music, the second half seemed dedicated to a wasted dude in the front row named Andrew, who they made shout outs to, and a couple lil diddy's for before moving on to the next song. It was their way of connecting with the audience, to reach out to fans, and everyone loved it (no matter how bizarrely obsessed they seemed to be with Andrew). 

By the time BOH finally finished the show with "Monsters" it was already dark. The air was cooler and people were ready to get even crazier post show. And they did. It was a Sunday night but the Williamsburg streets were crowded with happy partiers and boozed up couples. 

Cheers.

We <3 Andrew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWR2VyGyt38&feature=player_embedded#!

Ed Droste, Grizzly Bear

Ben Bridell, Band of Horses

First Weekend in NYC: Suckers

My first weekend in NYC is pretty emblematic of how musically-rich and freaking awesome this city is: two amazing shows in three days (Suckers on Friday, Karen Elson/Grizzly Bear/Band of Horses on Sunday). Yes, please!

Suckers

I flew in Friday night, cabbed it to my good friends' East Village apartment, took shots and headed to Brooklyn to see Suckers play at the Music Hall of Williamsburg for their CD Release Party, Wild Smile.  

Our picky friends at Pitchfork recently described Suckers as a band that "make[s] music with personality." But listen closer and you will see they are much more than that. Comparable to a conglomerate of sounds from Animal Collective, to Tears for Fears, to Modest Mouse, Suckers mixes all kinds of funky instruments with whistling, high-pitched vocals, jam buildups and blasting, yelping finales. 

Some of my favorites from their new LP, "Save your Love for Me," "Black Sheep," "Before your Birthday Ends," "You Can Keep Me Runnin' Around," (the first four tracks on CD, actually) and "It Gets Your Body Movin'" were even better live. Ultimately, I do have to agree with the good ol' Fork: Suckers makes music with personality. After seeing them live though, it became clear that Suckers is responsible for giving music personality as well. And a fucking good one at that - from the lead singer's psychedelic wardrobe, to the their synthetic, raucous-soaked energy, to the fact that they welcomed audience members join onstage to dance around...and play drums with them? Wow, maybe I was a little more blackout than I thought. Thanks, Suckers, for a kick ass time. 


PS Karen Elson/Grizzly Bear/Band of Horses to come very soon.

Pre - NYC: Pains of Being Pure at Heart & Surfer Blood

Although I am going to post reviews for the shows I go to NYC, I have seen a few shows while at home in Miami. Check 'em out biatches!

...

Poplife celebrated its anniversary at Grand Central Saturday night with an awesome concert rocked by shoegaze pop darlings, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and manic guitar machines, Surfer Blood.

POBPAH came out at eleven on the dot. Moments after the adorably gangly lead singer and guitarist, Alex Naidus, gracefully thanked us all for coming, the band kicked off the set with effervescent musical muscle.  POBPAH played a slew of popular songs from their self titled LP and some from their newest EP, “Higher than the Stars.” While everyone loved the obvious ones such as “Come Saturday” and “Young Adult Friction,” other tracks, like “This Love is Fucking Right!,” stood out for their sheer energy. Not only do POBPAH love playing music, they love playing music that deals with love itself: first crushes, kisses, sex, and everything else that makes you feel warm and fuzzy and yummy. Oh yeah, and heroin and vicodin too.

Overall, the band was able to create energy in both the creation and production of the sound. POBPAH won my heart because they were so happy to be there. This was evident in both their music and their attitude -- from the lead singer’s bashful smile in response to the crowd’s enthusiasm, to the way my newest girl crush, keyboardist Peggy Wang, drunkenly danced and giggled whilst harmonizing and making silly side commentary.  POBPAH had a such a freaking cute thing going on and I fell hard for them. 

After POBPAH generated such lovable presence onstage, I had high expectations for Surfer Blood, especially since they are South Florida natives. But while lead singer, JP Pitts, announced that they were “happy to be back home,” it didn’t really seem like it – there was something lacking right off the bat, as if the band members were a bit unsettled. To some, this probably went unnoticed, considering that the band kicked off with an awesome opener of “Floating Vibes.” Soon after they finished their second song though, their initial attitude was explained: guitarist, Tom Fekete, thanked everyone for coming and said “too bad this place is run by a bunch of dicks.” He then ate the microphone…. and the crowd ate it up. Everyone hooted and screamed out of love for Surfer Blood. The band members laughed off their resentment and loosened up...and the rest was history. What followed was an almost flawless show.

I heard that this band is incredible live, and they were. Between the powerful, resonating guitar textures, to the way Pitts flamboyantly marched/jammed/pranced around stage (you should have seem him on the dance floor afterwards), to just the overbearingly robust sound this band produces, I couldn’t help but get completely lost in the sweet sixties noise. Surfer Blood covered most of their debut LP, “Astro Coast,” with domination and rocker spirit. And some improvised additions only heightened the live experience, like when Pitts asked a friend to join in for a guitar guest spot or when he crowd surfed during “Swim (To Reach the End).”

Overall, Surfer Blood lived up to everything I heard they could be and perhaps even more.  And their encore, a cover of Lit’s “My Own Worst Enemy” with the help of POBPAH, could not have been cooler (Wait… is that Peggy Wang I spy with a tambourine on her head?). Who thought shoegaze and guitar rock could sound so good together?

Music the Great Communicator.

I told you I wouldn’t be gone forever.

Since I am moving to a new city - New York City to be exact - to start a new chapter in my life, I figured I would start another blog.

For those of you who know me at all, I love writing. I also love other creative things, and right now, it’s all about music. I have always been a music lover, but it’s not been until this past year that I have gone from listening to music to fully experiencing it. And by that I mean concerts, concerts and more concerts.

Since NYC is a wonderful concert hub for all kinds of music I thoroughly enjoy, I figured I would start writing concert reviews and posting them here. I already have a bunch of concert tickets purchased and a full lists of free shows I will be attending in the city. Hopefully my posts will inspire you to appreciate other types of music, and broaden your tastes.

Maybe if I am lucky, I can even get you to hit up a few shows with me.

Anyways, happy reading!

… And of course, happy listening!

The end.

Hi guys.

I wrote this post right after graduation, so excuse the intense emotionality of it. I was traveling for awhile and finally am back home in Miami; although it's a bit late, I figured I would still post this.

I will be starting another blog in the next month so stay on the lookout!

xx

...

Goodbye Vanderbilt.
Farewell Artsy Nash.
Hello, World.

College is over and so is my blog. I don’t really now how to feel. Weird? Sad? Nostalgic? Of course, these feelings don’t arise from the fact that my short lived blog is now coming to an end but that this part of my life is coming to an end.

I graduated. We graduated. And that in itself is daunting. Now is the time for us to search, to look for places that move us, that make us want to grow creatively, professionally, artistically, and emotionally...

Now is the time that we can really find ourselves. Keywords: by ourselves.

So, what next?

For now, I'll be moving to NYC at the end of June, working at New York Magazine, where I interned two summers ago. And although it’s sad that college is over, I can’t wait to start this next part of my life. Not only will I be in the writing world, a great starting place for my future endeavors, I will also be in New York City, the hub of creativity. I can’t wait to meet all kinds of new people and expose myself to new kinds of art. I think it will be such an inspiring experience.

But before I make this move, I write this last post as a thank you...

I thank both my professors and Vanderbilt as an institution for helping me grow academically. The knowledge I have acquired is invaluable and will guide me as I search for my place in the world.

I thank my friends for the thrill of the college years: the transitioning, the traveling, the raging, the chilling, the learning and the bonding. I thank you all for allowing me to experience what it means to actually become really close to people.

And I thank you artsy Nashville, the city outside the bubble that I only really discovered my last year at Vanderbilt. I thank Nashville for showing me a world of art that I love so much and hope to monumentally incorporate into the next part my life.

It’s all of you -- all of you who “turn me” -- whom have helped me become the person I am right now.



Mr. Braddock: What is it, Ben?
Benjamin: I'm just...
Mr. Braddock: Worried?
Benjamin: Well...
Mr. Braddock: About what?
Benjamin: I guess about my future.
Mr. Braddock: What about it?
Benjamin: I don't know... I want it to be...
Mr. Braddock: To be what?
Benjamin: Different.

- The Graduate

And a month and a half later....

... I am finally writing again. What has happened to me in the past six weeks? A lot.

I will begin with first big thing I can remember.

Spring Break
Instead of doing BOOZE CRUISE 2k10, my two best friends and I met in Miami for a couple days then headed up to Atlanta for a mini road trip to Savannah and Hilton Head. I know, kind of random (we were a little fresh out of ideas and had heard from a friend's friend's friend that Hilton Head is what's up). Hilton Head is not what's up. But it's nice - very quiet and cute. There are a lot of old people there...

Don't be fooled. No matter how random it was, it really didn't matter - my friends were my sole entertainment and we had a blast. The whole trip was just a clusterfuck of weird experiences. Exhibit A: the National Guard was in Hilton Head for a convention and we partied with the Army, aka MIDDLE AMERICA. Oh and even though Hilton Head ain't the numba one Spring Break destination, Savannah is THE SHIT (a cleaner, better preserved mini New Orleans). It's definitely worth checking out.

Overall, we also met SO many kinds of people, went out with these people, and just did something different, which was refreshing and fun in the long run. I can't imagine having a better break. Shit got weird and it was awesome.

The week after Spring Break...
I went to Ultra Music Festival (March 23-25)...Aaaand it was insane. Ultra is a huge electronic music festival with the best DJ's in the world. Everyone is happy - just dancing, grinding, living... oh, and tripping out on all kinds of drugs. It was a very crazy time. I can be the first person to say that electronic music isn't my top genre of choice but it is something that should be appreciated and enjoyed. Right now music is going through an evolution of sorts and everything is being mixed/mashed up in all funky ways. I think this is a genre that has a lot of potential... It's also great when you want to go balls out.

Easter Weekend
When my mother found out that I was one of the only people on campus during the "Holy Weekend," she sent me to visit my bro in Philly. We did Philly for a night then headed to NYC to visit Sean's brother from another mother and to go craaay craaay in the citaaay. It was such an AMAZING weekend. We rallied a troop of eclectic friends and just bounced all over the place - we had a freaking blast. We were like silly little drunk munchkins frolicking through candyland (weird analogy)... No but really, such a great weekend. And it got me so pumped because I will be moving to NYC post grad (yes! I will be employed this summer!). Can't wait.

Other fun events (or artsy ones? considering this is an artsy nash blog?):

- Vampire Weekend: I saw these guys at the Ryman (a church converted into a sick concert venue). They were AWESOME. They sounded great, they looked great, and they were so happy to be there. They are definitely worth seeing live! (Sexy photos & vids to come...)

- I interviewed Julian Casablancas for the school newspaper. I won't live this one down... it will definitely be my claim to fame for the next three years (He will be performing April 27th at Mercy Lounge... BE THERE)

Anything else? This semester has been a blur. An amazing, memorable, whirlwind of a blur. I hope to end my time at Vandy with a bang.


UPCOMING THINGY'S...

1. THE VANDY STUDENT FILM FESITVAL - THIS SUNDAY!!!! Help the art community at Vanderbilt EXIST & GROW!!!

2. RITES OF SPRING: April 23rd & 24th....WASSAP! - http://www.ritesofspring.com/

3. ... And if you want more artsy exposure that same weekend: "Naked Without Us: Fashion and Music Festival April 19-24 2010" - http://nakedwithoutus.com/ (F.Y.I. JEFF the Brotherhood will be performing April 23rd at Mercy Lounge).

4. As mentioned before: Julian Casablancas, April 27th, Mercy Lounge

5. Beach House, April 28th, Mercy Lounge

6. And my new band crush: THE LOCAL NATIVES (with opening act, Suckers), April 30th, The Basement

Rando Post

I really don't have any big things to talk about but I did commit to this so...

As I lie in bed bundled up in an over-sized sweatshirt while listening to My Bloody Valentine in the dark (did I mention that I am very emo?), the first thing that comes to mind is this: it's way too cold in Nashville right now. And to make matters worse, we have warm days like last Sunday where you can have a picnic in the park. Then of course Sunday is followed by rainy Monday which is followed by snowy Tuesday, etc etc. Basically, warm Sundays, you are a TEASE. To all you skeptics, it is officially confirmed: GLOBAL WARMING EXISTS.

On another note, I had an interesting week, to say the least. The highlight of it happened on Wednesday though, when I went to a great comedy show that raised money for Haiti. Anyways, my friend and I became BFF with this "comedy troupe" and went out with them to Nash Trash bars. Yeah... that happened. And it was awesome. You should try this some time.

The other cool thing this week involved another event raising money for Haiti too. The dude who started TOMS shoes came to speak at Vandy- he talked about how the company started, where its going, etc, etc. Really cool talk. And he's sexy too.

I'm tired.

Anyways. Since this is such a random post, I am going to make it even more random with other random music stuff:

1. I'm really into "shoegaze" music right now ("nu-gaze" if you will).This explains the My Bloody Valentine emo moment. Some cool bands: M83, The Radio Dept (new kick ass single after like fifteen years: "Heaven's on Fire") and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (in a very poppy, indie, "we live in Williamsburg and like wearing nerdy/artsy glasses" kind of way)

2. I really wish I had listened to The Antlers earlier on. The whole album, Hospice, is freaking awesome!!

3. I will continue to spread the word about Yeasayer's stellar new album - Odd Blood. LISTEN TO IT NOW.

4. Other cool bands (thanks Lucas): Phantogram, The Local Natives, Broken Bells

5. Oh and if you haven't heard about this, you'll die. I joined a Facebook group last week: there's a picture of a pickle and it says: "Can this pickle get more fans than Nickelback?" Well. As of two nights ago, THE PICKLE IS WINNING.

That's all I got. LYLAS.

Below: photos by kcook of our picnic in the park! and a cool passion pit pic i saw on spin.com