I’ve seen far, far to many bands who make these mistakes, so Its time for a PSA:
If you want to get famous, there are some rules that you should follow:
1) Google “Name You Want for Your Band (band)”, odds are unless its a really odd name,you’ll have at least one other. If it's far away from you and they only have a myspace, you’re golden. If you have four hits in the same country you’re from: Reconsider that name.
2) Shock Value/ Funny names are not shocking/funny after the 5th time you hear them. “Clown Death Cocks” might not have many hits on google, but very few managers will take you seriously.
3) Know your genera: Live it, breathe it, own it. It may be a new sound completely, but the odds of that are very, very low. More likely you have a wealth of knowledge and support that you are ignoring out of sheer laziness and pretension. Besides it's always nice to know who you could be opening for
4) Know other genres: You might not be what you think you are, and once again you’d be ignoring a huge community.
5)If you are the first opener, you will have the worst crowd. While you’re enthusiasm is appreciated, it might not work. This isn’t a comment on you. Keep at it.
July 25, 2011
Album Reivew: Parachute" The Way It Was"
I found Parachute( not to be confused with the New Zeland band “Parachute Band”) when I missed them at the Goo Goo Dolls show a few weeks back. I picked up their newest album and finally found the time to give it a listen.
Overall I enjoy it, but its not keeping my attention. Parachute strikes me as average alternative rock. Worth the money for the CD, but not worth really keeping tabs on.
This isn’t a bad album, however I think this band really needs to find their own sound. THey are still green and as with many young bands, they have not yet grown a sound that stands out from the countless other alternative rock bands. The lyrics are just as redundant and generic as the rest of their sound-- filled with run fo the mill teenage love songs and breakups, meant for driving in the summer.
Even their ‘deeper’ song “Forever and Always” didn’t really catch me untill the last verse, by then i’ve typically hit skip.
I’d see them again live, but i wouldn’t actively seek them. I would love to see them touring with other bands that I enjoy, however.ow this CD.
Likely influences: Mayday Parade and Owl City.
Solid band, but they need to push the envelope more. If they exploded their own sound, I think they have a lot of potential to be a very good band.
Overall I enjoy it, but its not keeping my attention. Parachute strikes me as average alternative rock. Worth the money for the CD, but not worth really keeping tabs on.
This isn’t a bad album, however I think this band really needs to find their own sound. THey are still green and as with many young bands, they have not yet grown a sound that stands out from the countless other alternative rock bands. The lyrics are just as redundant and generic as the rest of their sound-- filled with run fo the mill teenage love songs and breakups, meant for driving in the summer.
Even their ‘deeper’ song “Forever and Always” didn’t really catch me untill the last verse, by then i’ve typically hit skip.
I’d see them again live, but i wouldn’t actively seek them. I would love to see them touring with other bands that I enjoy, however.ow this CD.
Likely influences: Mayday Parade and Owl City.
Solid band, but they need to push the envelope more. If they exploded their own sound, I think they have a lot of potential to be a very good band.
July 18, 2011
News Update/ Small Rant
Not what I normally post here, But this heavily impacts my industry. And I’m pissed about it.
I’d like to have a moment of silence for Q101 being taken off the air at 1:07am CDT last Friday. RIP Q101, thanks for all of your support and the countless festivals and rock shows. I will be very interested to see what happens in the Chicago music scene without you. Good luck to the lovely gentleman who turned it into a news station. Cause Chicago needed more news stations.
I’m sorry, dear readers, but Q101 was a part of the chicago music soul. It may not have been the biggest music station out there, but it was home. They will be missed and I can’t help but be a little bitter.
Good news is the “internet radio” will still be there-- no DJs though.
I usually don’t get political on this blog, but please don’t support the man who is trying to destroy the chicago music scene. I know he hasn’t out and said it but thats basically what it seems to be trying to do. Taking two of chicago’s major rock stations out, one of which was a key element in the festival and concert arena right as the music industry is finally turning around its slump is nothing short of a slap in the face.
People lost jobs from this. One of the guys had been working at this station for 13 years. and thats gone now.
Boycott 101.1, 97.1. Let them know exactly what we think of this change. It won’t bring back our DJs or put our station back the way it was, but maybe, just maybe it will have an impact. And maybe, just maybe, people will think twice before tangling with chicago radio.
I’m usually a supporter of the radio, call me old fassioned here, but I like the excitement of unexpectedly hearing something good, or better still something good and new. The fun of looking up this new band and figuring out if they are, in fact, good. The local, sometimes really interesting, music.
I sincerely hope that radio doesn’t go the way of the music video. I seriously miss that.
I’d like to have a moment of silence for Q101 being taken off the air at 1:07am CDT last Friday. RIP Q101, thanks for all of your support and the countless festivals and rock shows. I will be very interested to see what happens in the Chicago music scene without you. Good luck to the lovely gentleman who turned it into a news station. Cause Chicago needed more news stations.
I’m sorry, dear readers, but Q101 was a part of the chicago music soul. It may not have been the biggest music station out there, but it was home. They will be missed and I can’t help but be a little bitter.
Good news is the “internet radio” will still be there-- no DJs though.
I usually don’t get political on this blog, but please don’t support the man who is trying to destroy the chicago music scene. I know he hasn’t out and said it but thats basically what it seems to be trying to do. Taking two of chicago’s major rock stations out, one of which was a key element in the festival and concert arena right as the music industry is finally turning around its slump is nothing short of a slap in the face.
People lost jobs from this. One of the guys had been working at this station for 13 years. and thats gone now.
Boycott 101.1, 97.1. Let them know exactly what we think of this change. It won’t bring back our DJs or put our station back the way it was, but maybe, just maybe it will have an impact. And maybe, just maybe, people will think twice before tangling with chicago radio.
I’m usually a supporter of the radio, call me old fassioned here, but I like the excitement of unexpectedly hearing something good, or better still something good and new. The fun of looking up this new band and figuring out if they are, in fact, good. The local, sometimes really interesting, music.
I sincerely hope that radio doesn’t go the way of the music video. I seriously miss that.
Tonight's the Night The World Begins Again: Goo Goo Dolls w/ Parachute (unreivewed) and Michelle Branch.
Venue: Charter One Pavilion at Northerly Island: (4/6) I think I must be getting fussier as I get older I found that while I still love the Charter One Pavilion, the audio set up is very off balance and like so many venues and it makes for some pretty nasty distortion, especially with the vocals. Now this may not be true for every one but personally I find the vocals one of the most important parts of rock music. I’m a huge sucker for lyrics. So when the awful clipping noise your bass makes drowns out my artists I get a little miffed. Even John Rzeznik commented on it. I’ve seen this way too often especially at outdoor venues. I appreciate good bass, but people please, it’s not all of the music. If you overdo the bass you drown out many of the details that make or break a good artist.
I’ve been to the Charter One five times that I remember. As a result, I’m used to ignoring the unhelpful staff and overpriced (even for concerts) drinks. I did notice the security was more vigilant than in the past, which was nice, if annoying because I had to pull out my ticket more often. Granted that’s preferable to lax security.
Small tangent: I have a great respect for the people who do security at concerts. In my option they are one part ninja, one part gladiator with the patience of a saint. These are not petite people- they have to be burly enough to be able to physically escort out drunk, rowdy people. They put up with being shit talked, cussed at and probably hit. They get puke cleaned up. And they do all of that nearly invisibly. I’ve more than once seen security appear when they were otherwise nowhere to be seen, deal with an issue and vanish again.
Crowd: (2/6) I don’t’ know if it was Michele branch’s horrible performance, the heat or what, but the crowd was dead. Even when the Goo Goo Dolls played ”Name“ (their biggest song) the crowd was fairly dreary. They perked up once ”Better days“ played, nearly half way through the show. I noticed an interesting dynamic. At other Goo Goo Dolls shows I’ve been to, the songs they played from Dizzy Up the Girl (1998) and of course ”Name“ (1996). However, this time their stuff from Let Love In (2007) was what sparked the crowd. An interesting phenomenon considering how much bigger Dizzy up The Girl was.
Opener: Michelle Branch (1/6). I vaguely enjoyed hearing "Everywhere" on the radio, and the handful of singles I knew of hers. She was always decent, not good, not bad just decent. Live it was a different matter. She gets a point for effort for certain; she was enthusiastic and interacted with the crowd as much as she could. (See previous comments on the crowd) However, she had only rudimentary talent on the guitar, clumsy even with the simpler cords and her guitar sounded slightly off. Not quite out of tune, just off.
Vocally she has no training and unlike many artists, it shows. While I appreciate a raw, otherwise good voice, this was not one of those. Her voice was tinny and flat most of the time, especially on the ‘showy’ notes. To be quite honest, it was bad enough that I had trouble paying attention and walked off to get a soda about half way into her set.
Her recorded stuff is not much better, to be quite honest. Wrenched vocalist.
Main Act: The Goo Goo Dolls (4/6) this is my third show with the Goo Goo dolls. I adore them. There is something very honest about their lyrics and the fact that the two front men have been a part of the band for 25 years makes for a very strong dynamic between the two of them. Bassist and occasional front man Robby Takac keeps them honest to their punk roots, while John Rzeznik gives them their more famous glossy alternative rock sound. The addition of other members has filled out their overall sound and given them more verity than their past roots.
While I will admit this was not their best performance, Rzeznik’s voice is getting a little tired and the energy wasn’t stellar (though I blame that on the crowd), I thought it was still a through good show. John Rzeznik is always a pleasure to listen to both as a musician and a speaker and his dynamic with Takac is wonderful to watch. Despite Rzeznik being the more popular of the two front men, he often defers to Takac letting him have the spot light as often as Rzeznik himself does. Both men bring their own distinctive sound to the table. Rzeznik has a gravely, melodic voice that embodies their genre so well. Takac has a voice like a goblin and a grin to match, which adds a lovely mischievous tone to some of their work.
The addition of a mandolin on “Iris” and saxophone on ”Broadway” adds welcome spice to an already very good show. Especially given that the saxophone is not on the album, adding just that much more to the live show.
Overall I acknowledge the band is aging, but they are still and I think forever will be one of my favorites.
And, incidentally, I was right about their new album. Wonderful stuff.
I’ve been to the Charter One five times that I remember. As a result, I’m used to ignoring the unhelpful staff and overpriced (even for concerts) drinks. I did notice the security was more vigilant than in the past, which was nice, if annoying because I had to pull out my ticket more often. Granted that’s preferable to lax security.
Small tangent: I have a great respect for the people who do security at concerts. In my option they are one part ninja, one part gladiator with the patience of a saint. These are not petite people- they have to be burly enough to be able to physically escort out drunk, rowdy people. They put up with being shit talked, cussed at and probably hit. They get puke cleaned up. And they do all of that nearly invisibly. I’ve more than once seen security appear when they were otherwise nowhere to be seen, deal with an issue and vanish again.
Crowd: (2/6) I don’t’ know if it was Michele branch’s horrible performance, the heat or what, but the crowd was dead. Even when the Goo Goo Dolls played ”Name“ (their biggest song) the crowd was fairly dreary. They perked up once ”Better days“ played, nearly half way through the show. I noticed an interesting dynamic. At other Goo Goo Dolls shows I’ve been to, the songs they played from Dizzy Up the Girl (1998) and of course ”Name“ (1996). However, this time their stuff from Let Love In (2007) was what sparked the crowd. An interesting phenomenon considering how much bigger Dizzy up The Girl was.
Opener: Michelle Branch (1/6). I vaguely enjoyed hearing "Everywhere" on the radio, and the handful of singles I knew of hers. She was always decent, not good, not bad just decent. Live it was a different matter. She gets a point for effort for certain; she was enthusiastic and interacted with the crowd as much as she could. (See previous comments on the crowd) However, she had only rudimentary talent on the guitar, clumsy even with the simpler cords and her guitar sounded slightly off. Not quite out of tune, just off.
Vocally she has no training and unlike many artists, it shows. While I appreciate a raw, otherwise good voice, this was not one of those. Her voice was tinny and flat most of the time, especially on the ‘showy’ notes. To be quite honest, it was bad enough that I had trouble paying attention and walked off to get a soda about half way into her set.
Her recorded stuff is not much better, to be quite honest. Wrenched vocalist.
Main Act: The Goo Goo Dolls (4/6) this is my third show with the Goo Goo dolls. I adore them. There is something very honest about their lyrics and the fact that the two front men have been a part of the band for 25 years makes for a very strong dynamic between the two of them. Bassist and occasional front man Robby Takac keeps them honest to their punk roots, while John Rzeznik gives them their more famous glossy alternative rock sound. The addition of other members has filled out their overall sound and given them more verity than their past roots.
While I will admit this was not their best performance, Rzeznik’s voice is getting a little tired and the energy wasn’t stellar (though I blame that on the crowd), I thought it was still a through good show. John Rzeznik is always a pleasure to listen to both as a musician and a speaker and his dynamic with Takac is wonderful to watch. Despite Rzeznik being the more popular of the two front men, he often defers to Takac letting him have the spot light as often as Rzeznik himself does. Both men bring their own distinctive sound to the table. Rzeznik has a gravely, melodic voice that embodies their genre so well. Takac has a voice like a goblin and a grin to match, which adds a lovely mischievous tone to some of their work.
The addition of a mandolin on “Iris” and saxophone on ”Broadway” adds welcome spice to an already very good show. Especially given that the saxophone is not on the album, adding just that much more to the live show.
Overall I acknowledge the band is aging, but they are still and I think forever will be one of my favorites.
And, incidentally, I was right about their new album. Wonderful stuff.
July 7, 2011
Summerfest 7/6/11
Venue: Summerfest, as previously reviewed. I like this stage a little better. (The rock stage)
Crowd: (3/6)Not bad. A little dead for the 8:00 show but overall a decent festival crowd. The crowd energy was fantastic during Sick Puppies; however, I attribute that to Sick Puppies and not to the Crowd. Surprisingly, lively for the 6:30 show, though and that was definitely the crowd, not the artist. For the 8:00 show the crowd was horrible.
The line up:
5:00pm: Litmus Vinyl (3.5/6)-- I came in during this set and spent most of the time running around and getting settled in to my camping spot. As a result I didn’t give them enough attention to give a detailed review. On top of this the band had some nasty technical issues regarding sound balance.
The front man had excessive amounts of energy and was a lot of fun on stage, very dynamic. The band’s overall sound was not one that I usually listen to so it took me a little work to really hone in on what worked and didn’t work about this band. They had a retro-folk sound that, while catchy didn’t quite grab my attention.
The vocals were sub-par, but palatable and had the instrumentation to match. I particularly noticed that the keyboards sounded off. If it weren’t electronic, I’d say it sounded out of tune, however given how hard it is for an electric keyboard to be out of tune, I’m going to assume that was intentional. It sounded like an attempt to mimic steel drums. I didn’t feel like the keyboardist had a firm enough mastery of her instrument to branch out into a different sound and it took her an undue amount of effort to stay on task.
The saxophonist was very good, and brought a nice addition to the sound. I didn’t think he pushed his talent too hard. I find one of the pitfalls of horn instruments is the tendency to try to hard for the showy sounds that their instruments make. The results are often closer to the previously reviewed Kids These Day, than to anything significantly impressive. This saxophonist knew how to balance the impressive with the more basic elements.
The guitar work was solid but made no impressions either way.
Overall, I would say a good listen, however they did not translate well to the album.
6:30 Soil (3/6)-- I wish I could give this band a lower rating, as I really don’t care for a lot of band in the Macho Rock subgenera as they have an arrogant, disrespectful attitude toward their fans, and frankly put I’ve seen bands produce this sound better with more class. However for that subgenre they were decently talented, though the front man was fairly inarticulate and more arrogant than his popularity granted him. The guitar work was passable, but most of their sound blended together in a discordant way. To their credit the front mans lack of articulation could be partly attributed to the sound balance issues that Summerfest was having. His attempts at the classic rock/ metal grunts and gravely tone came off as an attempt to copy the artists who originally made that sound, not as an attempt to make his own sound.
The bass work was pleasant, however and gave the band a little more depth than they would have otherwise had.
I also found their lyrics inane with an attempt to be profound without actually succeeding.
I’m going to go on to the next band now, as otherwise I’m just going to devolve into ranting about this genre.
8:00 Me talk Pretty (4/6)--
I have to say one thing that isn’t related to the act itself, but I find reflects well on the character of the leading woman.
After we saw Sick Puppies (reviewed below) my girlfriend twisted her knee getting off the bleacher and we had to get the first aid people. While I was out getting help, Uliana asked if my girlfriend was all right, and if she needed help. In a world were musicians are often treated as royalty, she didn’t have to do that. She could have just walked by. She chose to help. That says a lot about how classy this woman is.
Me Talk Pretty was the find of the festival for me this Summerfest. Front woman Uliana’s voice is fantastic-- reminiscent of the woman of symphonic metal and rock. She was also a lot of fun on stage, very energetic and tried to keep the crowd engaged. She was also very good at brushing off the rude comments a few drunk members of the crowd offered (Protip guys: Yelling ”take it off“ just because the singer is female does not earn you any points with nearby women, in fact it could get you mauled) Uliana had a euro-pop star feel to her and was a lot of fun to listen to. However, it is clear she is still a young artist and lacks a lot of the stage presence that her more experienced counterparts have. Specifically her moves on stage look very rehearsed and stilted. I also felt her band was not quite on par with her voice live.
Having listened to them now a little on Youtube, I’ve determined that it’s the drummer that is off. I couldn’t quite place it since overall the band was solid, not fantastic, but solid. They also should improve on their give and take and the technical elements of the guitar work. I can certainly see the talent there but in order to really succeed I think that the band needs to step up their game to match their singer.
10:00: Sick Puppies (5/6). After seeing Sick Puppies it always feels like something has been set right in my heart. They are an absolute pleasure to see every single time. As they are only a three person band, each member gets their moment to shine and even when they’re playing together each piece is clear.
I rave about basis Emma Anzai every time hear her play. She is a force all unto herself. From her fierce slap bass to her soft sultry voice and her powerful dynamic movement Emma is the only bassist I’ve seen live with that kind of hold on the audience. I’ve also seen her come out of her shell quite a bit since the first time I met her last year. Moving from shy to a much more confidant, professional woman, Emma has found her place in the band nicely.
Singer Shimon Moore is a character on stage. Between his amazing voice, his sense of humor and his knack for getting even the more passive members of the audience moving there are very few artists on his caliber. He also has a genuine desire to make his fans happy. He’s also very articulate on stage and has a natural knack for knowing when to talk and when to play. He’s also adapted his tone to really drive the show forward.
I often forget to be appreciative of Mark Goodwin as the drum work blends so smoothly into the rest of the music that I often forget how much talent it takes to be as good a drummer as mark. Like the others in the band, he has a sense of humor and can often be seen tossing a drumstick in the air and trying to catch it again. A master of both the traditional drum kit and the bongos, Mark is a welcome addition the Sick Puppies family.
That, by the way, is exactly what I would call this lovely little band. A family. They work so flawlessly together that it seems like they were born to play together. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next. (If monster is any indicator we are in for a really interesting album next)
Crowd: (3/6)Not bad. A little dead for the 8:00 show but overall a decent festival crowd. The crowd energy was fantastic during Sick Puppies; however, I attribute that to Sick Puppies and not to the Crowd. Surprisingly, lively for the 6:30 show, though and that was definitely the crowd, not the artist. For the 8:00 show the crowd was horrible.
The line up:
5:00pm: Litmus Vinyl (3.5/6)-- I came in during this set and spent most of the time running around and getting settled in to my camping spot. As a result I didn’t give them enough attention to give a detailed review. On top of this the band had some nasty technical issues regarding sound balance.
The front man had excessive amounts of energy and was a lot of fun on stage, very dynamic. The band’s overall sound was not one that I usually listen to so it took me a little work to really hone in on what worked and didn’t work about this band. They had a retro-folk sound that, while catchy didn’t quite grab my attention.
The vocals were sub-par, but palatable and had the instrumentation to match. I particularly noticed that the keyboards sounded off. If it weren’t electronic, I’d say it sounded out of tune, however given how hard it is for an electric keyboard to be out of tune, I’m going to assume that was intentional. It sounded like an attempt to mimic steel drums. I didn’t feel like the keyboardist had a firm enough mastery of her instrument to branch out into a different sound and it took her an undue amount of effort to stay on task.
The saxophonist was very good, and brought a nice addition to the sound. I didn’t think he pushed his talent too hard. I find one of the pitfalls of horn instruments is the tendency to try to hard for the showy sounds that their instruments make. The results are often closer to the previously reviewed Kids These Day, than to anything significantly impressive. This saxophonist knew how to balance the impressive with the more basic elements.
The guitar work was solid but made no impressions either way.
Overall, I would say a good listen, however they did not translate well to the album.
6:30 Soil (3/6)-- I wish I could give this band a lower rating, as I really don’t care for a lot of band in the Macho Rock subgenera as they have an arrogant, disrespectful attitude toward their fans, and frankly put I’ve seen bands produce this sound better with more class. However for that subgenre they were decently talented, though the front man was fairly inarticulate and more arrogant than his popularity granted him. The guitar work was passable, but most of their sound blended together in a discordant way. To their credit the front mans lack of articulation could be partly attributed to the sound balance issues that Summerfest was having. His attempts at the classic rock/ metal grunts and gravely tone came off as an attempt to copy the artists who originally made that sound, not as an attempt to make his own sound.
The bass work was pleasant, however and gave the band a little more depth than they would have otherwise had.
I also found their lyrics inane with an attempt to be profound without actually succeeding.
I’m going to go on to the next band now, as otherwise I’m just going to devolve into ranting about this genre.
8:00 Me talk Pretty (4/6)--
I have to say one thing that isn’t related to the act itself, but I find reflects well on the character of the leading woman.
After we saw Sick Puppies (reviewed below) my girlfriend twisted her knee getting off the bleacher and we had to get the first aid people. While I was out getting help, Uliana asked if my girlfriend was all right, and if she needed help. In a world were musicians are often treated as royalty, she didn’t have to do that. She could have just walked by. She chose to help. That says a lot about how classy this woman is.
Me Talk Pretty was the find of the festival for me this Summerfest. Front woman Uliana’s voice is fantastic-- reminiscent of the woman of symphonic metal and rock. She was also a lot of fun on stage, very energetic and tried to keep the crowd engaged. She was also very good at brushing off the rude comments a few drunk members of the crowd offered (Protip guys: Yelling ”take it off“ just because the singer is female does not earn you any points with nearby women, in fact it could get you mauled) Uliana had a euro-pop star feel to her and was a lot of fun to listen to. However, it is clear she is still a young artist and lacks a lot of the stage presence that her more experienced counterparts have. Specifically her moves on stage look very rehearsed and stilted. I also felt her band was not quite on par with her voice live.
Having listened to them now a little on Youtube, I’ve determined that it’s the drummer that is off. I couldn’t quite place it since overall the band was solid, not fantastic, but solid. They also should improve on their give and take and the technical elements of the guitar work. I can certainly see the talent there but in order to really succeed I think that the band needs to step up their game to match their singer.
10:00: Sick Puppies (5/6). After seeing Sick Puppies it always feels like something has been set right in my heart. They are an absolute pleasure to see every single time. As they are only a three person band, each member gets their moment to shine and even when they’re playing together each piece is clear.
I rave about basis Emma Anzai every time hear her play. She is a force all unto herself. From her fierce slap bass to her soft sultry voice and her powerful dynamic movement Emma is the only bassist I’ve seen live with that kind of hold on the audience. I’ve also seen her come out of her shell quite a bit since the first time I met her last year. Moving from shy to a much more confidant, professional woman, Emma has found her place in the band nicely.
Singer Shimon Moore is a character on stage. Between his amazing voice, his sense of humor and his knack for getting even the more passive members of the audience moving there are very few artists on his caliber. He also has a genuine desire to make his fans happy. He’s also very articulate on stage and has a natural knack for knowing when to talk and when to play. He’s also adapted his tone to really drive the show forward.
I often forget to be appreciative of Mark Goodwin as the drum work blends so smoothly into the rest of the music that I often forget how much talent it takes to be as good a drummer as mark. Like the others in the band, he has a sense of humor and can often be seen tossing a drumstick in the air and trying to catch it again. A master of both the traditional drum kit and the bongos, Mark is a welcome addition the Sick Puppies family.
That, by the way, is exactly what I would call this lovely little band. A family. They work so flawlessly together that it seems like they were born to play together. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us next. (If monster is any indicator we are in for a really interesting album next)
July 3, 2011
Summefest 7/2/11 Show and album review of Maroon 5
Venue: Given that during Summefest I’m at the same venue (granted not usually the same stage) I don’t usually comment on the venue more than once. However, I have to make a comment here
Summerfest made a pretty expensive mistake: They underestimated a band. Granted, so did most of the fans. I didn’t even think they were as popular as they are or I would have arrived earlier myself. The stage could have comfortably held about three quarters what it held.
Due to the above mentioned issue I was not able to properly review Maroon 5 short of saying that I’ve seen Maroon 5 before and I really enjoyed it and from what I could make out on the screens it seemed like the same caliber show. I would say probably a 5/6 show. Adam Levine is articulate and has a surprisingly good voice and is in constant motion on stage. He’s also very much a ham on stage, playing to the audience. It is always a pleasure to see him on stage. I just wish I’d been able to go to the Chicago show.
Album Review (4/6): Maroon 5 Hands All Over--
I really enjoyed Maroon 5’s second album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long it had sharp teeth and many very strong lyrics that worked well with the instrumentation. It was edgy though it was missing many of the ballads that were on the first album. Hands All Over found a happy medium between the ballads and the flirty, bouncy songs. I also felt the album was more innovative than their other albums have been with stylistic forays into country, something more akin to jazz and back to their own style of pop-rock. Singer Adam Levine’s voice has grown sultrier over the years and he’s learned to control it more effectively.
The issue I found with the album is that it didn’t keep my attention all of the time. I found my attention wandering during some of the more saccharine ballads. They didn’t have the draw of Maroon 5’s older, more heartfelt ballads. Those songs feel a little out of character for such a cheeky band.
The band as a whole has matured and really learned to handle their instruments well. I think between the bands more cohesive sound and their maturation together Maroon 5 has become quite a strong band with a constantly innovating style that makes them well worth the attention their getting.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing them again and I truly enjoyed most of this album.
Summerfest made a pretty expensive mistake: They underestimated a band. Granted, so did most of the fans. I didn’t even think they were as popular as they are or I would have arrived earlier myself. The stage could have comfortably held about three quarters what it held.
Due to the above mentioned issue I was not able to properly review Maroon 5 short of saying that I’ve seen Maroon 5 before and I really enjoyed it and from what I could make out on the screens it seemed like the same caliber show. I would say probably a 5/6 show. Adam Levine is articulate and has a surprisingly good voice and is in constant motion on stage. He’s also very much a ham on stage, playing to the audience. It is always a pleasure to see him on stage. I just wish I’d been able to go to the Chicago show.
Album Review (4/6): Maroon 5 Hands All Over--
I really enjoyed Maroon 5’s second album It Won’t Be Soon Before Long it had sharp teeth and many very strong lyrics that worked well with the instrumentation. It was edgy though it was missing many of the ballads that were on the first album. Hands All Over found a happy medium between the ballads and the flirty, bouncy songs. I also felt the album was more innovative than their other albums have been with stylistic forays into country, something more akin to jazz and back to their own style of pop-rock. Singer Adam Levine’s voice has grown sultrier over the years and he’s learned to control it more effectively.
The issue I found with the album is that it didn’t keep my attention all of the time. I found my attention wandering during some of the more saccharine ballads. They didn’t have the draw of Maroon 5’s older, more heartfelt ballads. Those songs feel a little out of character for such a cheeky band.
The band as a whole has matured and really learned to handle their instruments well. I think between the bands more cohesive sound and their maturation together Maroon 5 has become quite a strong band with a constantly innovating style that makes them well worth the attention their getting.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing them again and I truly enjoyed most of this album.
July 2, 2011
Summefest 7/1/11(roadtrip show!)
Venue: I always enjoy Summerfest. It happens to be one of the world’s largest music festivals and it’s in of all places Milwaukee, WI. It’s “11 days, 11 stages and over 700 artists” and around floury three years running. You can find almost any verity of music you please their, and even a few that you don’t please. You can also find a very wide verity of talent, ages, and kinds of artists. In addition there are booths full of food from local restaurants, including an Ethnic Garden of foods from around the world. There is also a plethora of vendors who sell everything from clothing, to knick-knacks, to incense. It is very easy to spend all eleven days there. (The most I’ve ever done was nine).
The crowd: (4/6) The overall Summerfest crowd is very laid back and usually not as furious as a normal concert crowd. Many of them have been camping their stage for hours, and even more have been walking around the seventy-five acres of the festival grounds. Sometimes they’re not even there for a specific band. For this particular show, crowd took a little time to get moving but they were very vocal. Above all they were a happy crowd.
Notes on the times: At a music festival, generally the first acts are the local, greener bands and the last acts are usually more well known experienced bands. Often this also indicates quality.
8:00 show: Kids These Days (3/6): I was shocked that this band had the 8:00 slot. Shocked. Last year I saw Sick Puppies at this slot. I usually give band with such young members a lot of slack as they are still growing into their voices as well as their style. Initially, I thought that perhaps Summerfest had been gracious enough to give a local high school band a slot.
I was wrong. They’re from Chicago, how embarrassing.
If each member performed on his or her own, they might have been decent. If it weren’t for the following issues.
The front man that did the singing, not the rapping was pushing his voice to make a very distinctive, specific sound usually found in blues and jazz. His voice however is too young to truly make that sound and you can hear the straining. He does have a good voice, however he will hurt himself if he continues pushing it.
While I am all for mixing genres and throwing pieces of outside genres into the mix, you should have a solid grounding in both genres if you attempt this. This band was still very green (understandable given their ages) and I felt that until they had a more solid foundation in their genre (be it hip-hop or blues) they should perhaps sick to one genre per song.
The coordination: They were trying to emulate the bands that would dance with their horns from the jazz era. A valiant effort however, none of them managed to bow, let alone move in anything resembling synchronicity and coordination. That alone would have improved the band visually quite a lot
Things I did like, however:
The female lead had a very strong sense of her range and could actually make the vocalizations that she was attempting without straining her voice.
The instrumentation: All of the individual players had at least a moderate degree of talent, however they did need some work on a technical level. Which, I think will come in time. They do have some underlying talent.
Overall a very green band with some talent that needs to mature several years and hone their sound before really hitting the music scene. If they do hone it, I do think there is a lot of potential.
The 10:00 show: Third Eye Blind (4/6): It was an odd show, but it was very enjoyable. I did not have very high expectations given that as far as I knew they had peaked in the late 90s. The first about 20 minutes matched that expectation rather well. Fun, but nothing special. They lacked energy and the instrumentation wasn’t spot on. Then they played “slow motion” One of their very controversial songs, which I believe was only officially released as an instrumental due to the drug and violence content of the lyrics. However, the fans know the song inside out and it is one of their most beautiful songs. While they are known for their catchy song, I find Third Eye Blind’s real talent is in what I call stoner ballads. This song was followed up by their second largest hit “Jumper” and it was as though both the band and audience suddenly remembered they were there for a rock show. By the encore, they were rocking and the audience was electric.
The crowd: (4/6) The overall Summerfest crowd is very laid back and usually not as furious as a normal concert crowd. Many of them have been camping their stage for hours, and even more have been walking around the seventy-five acres of the festival grounds. Sometimes they’re not even there for a specific band. For this particular show, crowd took a little time to get moving but they were very vocal. Above all they were a happy crowd.
Notes on the times: At a music festival, generally the first acts are the local, greener bands and the last acts are usually more well known experienced bands. Often this also indicates quality.
8:00 show: Kids These Days (3/6): I was shocked that this band had the 8:00 slot. Shocked. Last year I saw Sick Puppies at this slot. I usually give band with such young members a lot of slack as they are still growing into their voices as well as their style. Initially, I thought that perhaps Summerfest had been gracious enough to give a local high school band a slot.
I was wrong. They’re from Chicago, how embarrassing.
If each member performed on his or her own, they might have been decent. If it weren’t for the following issues.
The front man that did the singing, not the rapping was pushing his voice to make a very distinctive, specific sound usually found in blues and jazz. His voice however is too young to truly make that sound and you can hear the straining. He does have a good voice, however he will hurt himself if he continues pushing it.
While I am all for mixing genres and throwing pieces of outside genres into the mix, you should have a solid grounding in both genres if you attempt this. This band was still very green (understandable given their ages) and I felt that until they had a more solid foundation in their genre (be it hip-hop or blues) they should perhaps sick to one genre per song.
The coordination: They were trying to emulate the bands that would dance with their horns from the jazz era. A valiant effort however, none of them managed to bow, let alone move in anything resembling synchronicity and coordination. That alone would have improved the band visually quite a lot
Things I did like, however:
The female lead had a very strong sense of her range and could actually make the vocalizations that she was attempting without straining her voice.
The instrumentation: All of the individual players had at least a moderate degree of talent, however they did need some work on a technical level. Which, I think will come in time. They do have some underlying talent.
Overall a very green band with some talent that needs to mature several years and hone their sound before really hitting the music scene. If they do hone it, I do think there is a lot of potential.
The 10:00 show: Third Eye Blind (4/6): It was an odd show, but it was very enjoyable. I did not have very high expectations given that as far as I knew they had peaked in the late 90s. The first about 20 minutes matched that expectation rather well. Fun, but nothing special. They lacked energy and the instrumentation wasn’t spot on. Then they played “slow motion” One of their very controversial songs, which I believe was only officially released as an instrumental due to the drug and violence content of the lyrics. However, the fans know the song inside out and it is one of their most beautiful songs. While they are known for their catchy song, I find Third Eye Blind’s real talent is in what I call stoner ballads. This song was followed up by their second largest hit “Jumper” and it was as though both the band and audience suddenly remembered they were there for a rock show. By the encore, they were rocking and the audience was electric.
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