Jenny Lewis at Price Center Ballroom

 Rawk Shows   

There was so much going on tonight but it was easy for me to make the decision to see Jenny Lewis over the myriad of other things going on. I totally heart Rilo Kiley and love Jenny Lewis’ solo work. When people ask me what the diff is between a Rilo Kiley show and a Jenny Lewis show, I tell them that Rilo Kiley shows lean towards pop while Jenny Lewis shows are more country/folk. That held true tonight as well. Set list first....

Jenny Lewis
UCSD’s Price Center Ballroom
11/1/08

Encore:
Love Hurts
Godspeed
See Fernando

Okay, first off, I missed a song on the set list, I couldn’t figure it out from my cryptic notes and checked some previous set lists and she did different songs on tour so I can’t figure it out. Sigh. In any case, it was a good show - the last one of the tour in fact. Jenny mostly covered songs from the new release Acid Tongue but threw in some material from Rabbit Fur Coat as well. Starting off with “Jack Killed Mom” was interesting...it starts off a little slow but the end is kinda crazy. I was glad to get “Rise Up With Fists”, “Happy” and “You Are What You Love” from RFC early on. The crowd at UCSD was super cool - no talking during the quieter songs, which was especially great when Jenny came up to the front of the stage with her acoustic, totally unplugged, with no mic for “Acid Tounge”. Her band stood behind her and did the harmonies. It was truly beautiful and amazing that they could perform that way, with the crowd completely enamored and attentive as could be. My favorite song from the new album was done as the last song in the main set - “Sing A Song For Them” features Jenny on her piano and it is really a lovely song. I thought I would walk away from the show thinking the best moment was “Acid Tongue”, but then Jenny and Johnathan Rice came out by themselves for the encore and did an achingly good version of “Love Hurts”. I know, right? Check out a previous performance of it on yt here. Ending the show with the upbeat “See Fernando” was a good call. Definitely the icing on the cake.

Jack’s Mannequin at HOB San Diego

 Rawk Shows   

“But if you left it up to me - every day would be a holiday from real...”

Jack’s Mannequin is out on tour supporting their latest release The Glass Passenger and spent this lovely early Halloween evening with a nearly sold-out HOB SD filled with adoring fans. Andrew was a hit right away when he came out wearing a grass skirt and coconut bra over his jeans and tee. Nicely done (though that coconut bra was a little distracting.) Set list photo first (the entire set list if you rawk on).

Andrew started the set with three from the new album. While those were well-received, the crowd went crazy when we heard the beginning notes of “The Mixed Tape”. We had our first sing-a-long of the evening (this is my mixed tape for her/It’s like I wrote every note/With my own fingers), but it was not to be the last. Andrew did a good job of mixing in some old faves with the new material. From the new material, I liked “American Love” and “Hammers and Strings” best. Before starting in on “Hammers and Strings”, Andrew explained that the song was about his piano. The lyrics were pretty cool and I have to admit that I got a little choked up. Maybe it was a little residual emotion from “Dark Blue” which he played prior. The strongest part of the set was the trio of “I’m Ready”, “The Resolution” and “Holiday From Real”. I really enjoyed “The Resolution” - it is such a celebration of how Andrew beat leukemia and hearing him sing it was very moving. (BTW, Andrew looks great - love that his hair is so long and he is not so skinny these days.)

(Andrew on his piano)

During “Holiday From Real”, Andrew stood up on his piano for the second time of the evening. He is such a spaz (in a good way) and I just love to watch him on stage. He slowed it down quite a bit for the last song of the main set with “Caves”, which is a bonus track on the new album. The rest of the band left the stage for the first part of the song and Andrew pounded away on the piano for a good while before the rest of the band came out to finish off the set strongly.

The encore was definitely for the fans. Andrew started it off with “Bruised” and then introduced the next song as one for the Springsteen fans. Took me a bit to figure out what it was because I am by no means a Springsteen fan but the chorus gave it away - it was “I’m on Fire”. Then he did a classic from his Something Corporate days - “Cavanaugh Park”. Lots of old school fans very happy to hear that one. The show ended with “La La Lie” where Andrew busted out his harmonica and the entire crowd sang a long to end a great show.

(Andrew on harmonica during “La La Lie")

(You can view all photos here.)

Happy Halloween Indie Rock Style

 Rawk Tunes   

I wanted to get this post together last night, but I was busy making cupcakes. So a little late, but the sentiment is there. Just a little round-up of some Halloween-ish material from a couple of indie rock types. Enjoy!

Gavin Castleton - Since 1968

Abe Vigoda - Skeleton (link to the video on p-fork - the embedded player screwed up my formatting)

Ack, I thought I had more but I guess not....

Happy Halloween, y’all. Stay safe out there.

Manning Out at XTRA

 Rawk Radio   

Shocker?

As reported by Radio and Records:

After almost two years in command of Finest City alternative XTRA-FM (91X)/San Diego, PD Phil Manning has left the building due to budget cuts. Manning arrived in America’s Finest City in January 2007, but is best known and loved for spending nearly a decade at KNDD (107.7 the End)/Seattle.

With his departure, MD/afternoon guy Capone is upped to PD, and night goddess Christy Taylor becomes MD. Capone joined the station in May ‘07, having come in from the PD throne at Clear Channel alternative WHRL (Channel 103.1)/Albany, N.Y., while Taylor arrived in March 2008 from the APD/MD/midday gig at Albany Broadcasting active rocker WZMR (104.9 the Edge)/Albany, N.Y.

I heart NOLA

 Shutterbug    Wanderlust   

It’s the greatest thing you’d ever imagine but you’ll never know until you’re there*

It had been way too long since I had been in NOLA. Coming for the Voodoo festival was genius because it allowed for time to do other things while I was there. I won’t go into all the details but I can sum it up in five points as to why I heart NOLA…

5. The city is a photographer’s dream. Cool, old buildings, awesome people watching and surprises at every turn.
4. People who stay in NOLA love their town and they treat people that appreciate their town with that same love.
3. You can hear live music everywhere in NOLA - often times, it is a random group of musicians on the street corner, but none of it sucks, I promise.
2. I don’t think you can have a bad meal in NOLA. I went on a tour de muffaletta and also visited one of my old favorites, The Alpine, for a decadent last-night-in-NOLA meal. Even the liquor store down the street from our hotel served awesome fried chicken!
1. You can get your alcohol to go in a plastic cup anywhere in the French Quarter.

So a few photos and then I’m calling it a night…

(Minnie and Ox at Napoleon House with a Pimm’s Cup for two)
I was soooo stoked that practically every bar served Pimm’s.

We spent a couple of nights at the Pirate’s Alley Cafe drinking Absinthe and Pimm’s. Jill, our bar wench, was totally awesome. Many props to Matty for directing me towards this awesome bar.

(St. Louis Cathedral from the Natchez)

(Domino Sugar Factory from the Natchez)

(site of the Battle of New Orleans from the Natchez)

We went on the steamboat Natchez for a tour on the Mississippi. I’ve been on this tour a few times and I don’t get tired of it. Of course, the scenery has changed somewhat, but that is to be expected. It’s still a great way to get some history about the area and to see some really cool stuff on the Mississippi.

(New Orleans Courthouse)
Walking around the Vieux Carre is the best. I should have taken more photos but I was on sensory overload. I’ll have to make a list of things to photograph the next time I am there (which will be sooner than later for sure.)

*lyrics are from Pas De Cheval by Panic at the Disco

P.S. Of course, I yelped my way through NOLA. You can check out my reviews here.
P.P.S. The rest of the photos are here.

Voodoo Music Experience 2008

 Rawk Shows   

I love going on a music related vacation. My trip to NOLA was long overdue and the music part of my vacation was really just the icing on the cake. Here’s my breakdown by day.

Friday, 10/24

(Mars Volta from Main Stage)

Didn’t get there until later in the day - I had seen a bunch of the bands on the schedule so no one we were dying to see. Started off at the WWOZ/SoCo stage (after getting a Sparks* - hey, better than crappy Miller Lite). Caught a bit of Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and then Reverend Horton Heat. Then headed towards the main stage and caught some of TVOTR before heading towards the 2nd main stage to see Devotchka, who I can best describe as gypsy music for indie rock kids. Not a bad thing at all. We did stick around for Stone Temple Pilots, but Weiland was not at his best so we bailed. We ended up meeting people who stayed for their entire set and they told us STP got better, but I somehow doubt that.

Saturday 10/25:

(Andy from Manchester Orchestra)

Because the Dungeon is evil, we were less than motivated to hang out to listen to music on Saturday. But I wanted to see Manchester Orchestra. They did a lot of new material from their forthcoming album. Good stuff. But there was a surprising amount of people singing along with me when they played “Wolves at Night”, “Golden Ticket” and “Where Have You Been”. After their set, we found some shade to sit in stuck it out through the rest of the day before NIN. Caught most of the day’s performances from the big screen (Thievery Corporation, Mars Volta) - nothing too earth shattering. And I don’t get Ghostland Observatory.at.all.

(NIN during the Ghosts portion of their set)
I already wrote about the NIN show - you can check out that review here.

Sunday 10/26:

(Chris from Dashboard Confessional)
Another day where other things took priority in the morning. But there was no missing Dashboard Confessional or Panic at the Disco. I needed an emo sing-a-long and neither DC or P@TD disappointed. I only half-heartedly took notes during Dashboard, mostly because I was singing. Of course, the crowd loved the older material - a good back to back was “The Good Fight” (I begged you not to go/I begged you/I pleaded) and “Saints and Sailors”. The epic “Screaming Infidelities” with “Again I Go Unnoticed” were also great. Then they had some fun - first, they covered Weezer’s “El Scorcho”. I had heard them do that when Chris toured “unplugged” and really enjoyed it. A couple of songs later, they covered Pink’s “I’m Still A Rock Star” (thanks to Lushy for filling me in on that one, cause I was clueless). They ended their set with “Vindicated” and of course, “Hands Down”, where all the emo kids and I had a moment together singing along at the top of our lungs.

During our break between the bands, we got more Sparks. So we were sooooo ready for some Panic. I have to say I am really enjoying their live sets these days. They seem more relaxed up there and are having fun, which is good. Ryan (who writes the lyrics to the songs) seems to be more active in their live set than in the past and does quite a bit of singing along with Brenden. Their set list was pretty tight (full list if you rawk on). The new material from Pretty.Odd fits right into classics such as “Lying”, “Martyrdom” and “Sins”. But they pretty much brought the house down by covering “Shout”. No, not Tears for Fears.....you know you make me want to “shout”!

We didn’t stick around for R.E.M...had some eating and drinking to do to finish off the weekend. I did take a few more photos - you can view here.

*evil alcohol tinged energy drink in case you were not in the know - tastes like fanta

Watch The Dears launch their Missiles at the Belly Up

 Rawk Shows   

I raved about Missiles, the new album that was released by The Dears last week here. And you have the chance to decide for yourself since they are coming to our fine town on Saturday 11/1 at the Belly Up, opening for the Secret Machines (no slouches themselves). I’ll be at Jenny Lewis, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t go see The Dears. Especially since I have a pair of tix to give away. Hit me up in comments or e-me if you want in.

In the meantime, check out the vid for “Money Babies”:

More info: official/myspace