When I first heard about this show, I was super excited, then when I noticed it was going to be free I thought, uggh, this is going to be a shit show. I had yet to be to the 'new' location of shows on the waterfront so I wasn't sure what to expect. The old location used last summer was OK as it provided great views of Manhattan. I heard this new spot was odd and cramped. Earlier in the week, the Jayhwaks had just played a sold out show at the Wellmont Theater in New Jersey, it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon and this show was free. I thought it was going to be packed. Much to my surprise, it wasn't. It was half full at best. Still can't figure out what kept the crowd away, but it didn't bother me. Tonight the Jayhawks played a career spanning set of 20+ songs that would make any fan happy. These guys have been around since 1985 and don't seem to have missed a step with the beautiful harmonies of Mark Olsen and Gary Louris banging out hits such as Wichita, Take Me With You When You Go, Blue, I'd Run Away, Two Hearts, Miss Williams Guitar, Tampa To Tulsa and Waiting for the Sun. The small crowd didn't effect their performance and it gave those of us in attendance a bit of an intimate show feel despite the large venue.
"They seem so grown up" was my wife's comment as the Vaccines took the stage tonight to celebrate the first of two sold out New York shows. We were lucky enough to see the Vaccines when they made their USA debut on this same stage early in 2011, so yes, they have grown up a bit and they were armed with new tunes from their upcoming release 'The Vaccines-Come of Age'. While most bands touring behind a new CD will build a set list heavy on new songs, the Vaccines didn't seem to do that sprinkling in fantastic new songs such as No Hope and Teenage Icon among their 'classics'. The 16 song set flew by and before you know it, they were gone. No encore. Bummer.
'No Hope'(from Come Of Age) AFROPUNK FESTIVAL, August 26, Commodore Barry Park (Brooklyn)
Wow. This was a free-for-all. This free show in Brooklyn has been going on for a few years and I never made it over. It always seems like it would be pretty cool with a mix skateboard and bmx competition, two stages of of eclectic music and DJ's all for $0. Saturday's line-up included Das Racist and Erykah Badu. We made it over on Sunday in time to catch some of Janelle Monae's packed set with our end goal of catching Brooklyn's own TV On the Radio close things out. This festival offers a fun setting with the freedom to to do pretty much what ever you want. A lot of people even brought their little kids to enjoy the setting and the music. With the setting of the festival in what seems to be a neighborhood park squeezed between a lot of apartment buildings, the show had to get done early. TV On the Radio was scheduled to play an hour long set to be done by 9pm but they didn't hit the stage till 8:15 and they seemed to play everything faster to squeeze in their set list. I was a little let down as I figured they would have made sure the headliner would get at least a full our. All in all, this was a fun day and a great festival.
LUMINEERS & OLD CROW MEDICINE SHOW-August 6, Central Park Summerstage (NYC)
We sat outside for this show and got their midway thru the Lumineers set. The night was a good mix of folk and bluegrass. I'll admit, while I have heard of Old Crow Medicine Show, i've never really listened to their music and didn't realize they have been around for the 12+ years that they have. Sitting outside a show Summerstage is great but you really can't see the stage so while you can hear perfectly, you aren't fully involved in the show. OCMS played a lively set and seemed they could have played all night and from the sounds of the crowd it seemed they would have stayed all night right along with them. We caught the last few songs of the Lumineers and I really like they. They are a relatively new folky band band touring behind their very well received first cd. I'd catch both of these bands when they come thru again
Old Crow Medicine Show-Wagon Wheel
WILCO-July 24, Prospect Park (Brooklyn)
I caught Wilco last summer at Central Parks Summerstage right around the release of their latest CD, The Whole Love. While the cd is good, I wouldn't put it in their top 4. The show was heavy on the new material and I hadn't even purchased it yet, so the show was just OK. Fast forward one year and this was a memorable night. To start, Prospect Parks bandshell is the best outdoor music venue in the city, minus the outrageous food line. The bandshell is set within trees in the corner of the park and tonight was a beautiful summer evening. Wilco proved why they are one of the best live bands out there performing a near 30 song set list that touched on every one of their cd's including the Mermaid Ave. collaboration with Bill Bragg. Even the material from The Whole Love sounded awesome tonight. It is tough to pick up stand out songs from this show as everyone provided a smile, a head nod and a walk down a memory lane which is the Wilco catalog. The band's live show seems to age like fine wine tweaking the arrangement of songs to the point that it almost seems like a new song. I assume it will be a while before Wilco comes back around on tour and I'm already looking forward to it. Until then, I can go to bands website and download tonight's show and relive this night whenever I want. Its a great thing.
LOWDOWN HUDSON BLUES FESTIVAL w/
NEKO CASE & CHARLES BRADLEY, July 12, World Financial Center (NYC)
Nothing says blues more than indie rock darling Neko Case and sould singer Charles Bradley?!? Rather confused how this line-up came together but who am to complain? This was a beautiful setting in downtown NYC, along the water in plain view of a fantastic sunset. Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires did their best James Brown like performance with some killer soul as the sun wilted over the hudson river. Neko Case along with backup singer Kelly Hogan never really seemed to get going. They battled sound issues all night which held the band back and prevented them from letting loose. Still, Neko continues to have one of the more beautiful voices out there and I'll never turn down an opportunity to hear her sing such beauties as I Wish I Was the Moon, Maybe Sparrow and Hold On Hold On
Neko Case-Hold On Hold On (not from the Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival)
TALLEST MAN ON EARTH, June 20th, Town Hall (NYC)
I started my obsession with Swedish singer-songwriter, Kristian Matteson a.k.a The Tallest Man On Earth earlier this year. I've been aware of him and his music for a couple years but after hearing his songs on a regular basis on KEXP, I dove in a picked up his first 2 cds. These cd's instantly got heavy rotation brightening my daily subway commute in a way that I never expected. His Dylan-esque singing pitches up a bit higher when coupled with his Swedish accent creating a unique folk twang. My deep obsession was rewarded when I not only found out TMOE would be coming up with a new cd early in the summer, but that he would be playing the legendary mid-town theater Town Hall. Two sold out shows, I was lucky to get tickets to night one. Live, his music takes on a different emotion. It is just him on stage choosing between a number of guitars (electric and acoustic) and even piano. He mixed performing standing up and sitting down during song, seeming to almost ready to fall off the edge of his chair. His voice sucks you in as do his lyrics and mannerisms as he moves around the stage. I can't explain how much I enjoyed this show, minus the two idiots that felt the need to yell out "ridiculous" during a number of the songs. In the movie Gladiator, they say 'win the crowd'. Tonight, The Tallest Man on Earth won us over from the very first song and never let us go, even being so generous as to make a point to 'thank us for listening'. A classy line by a classy performer.
A recent performance of The Tallest Man on Earth on KEXP.
