Lollapalooza 2010: Day Three

 Rawk Shows   

We were totally slackers this day. Mostly because I was on the guest list at some party at the Hard Rock where Stars was supposed to play. So we get there and it was totally not what I expected. They had free adult beverages, all sorts of food and all sorts of stuff going on besides the bands playing. And the coolest thing was these bands were playing in this little room which held about 75 people. So we chilled while waiting for Stars. Their road crew came in and set up and Torq was actually hanging for awhile and then I got an email that they weren’t playng after all. Boo hoo. I was disappointed but the cool thing about this was we now had wristbands for the Hard Rock after party where Temper Trap and Mumford and Sons were playing as well as Phoenix doing a DJ set. Cool.

So after a bunch of drama with my totally wrecked boots and a phone left in the cab (not mine!), we headed back to Lolla for day 3. I went over to see Temper Trap since I didn’t know how later would shake out. They were really fun to watch - really happy to be playing Lolla. They reminded me a lot of Kings of Leon back in the day. Not in a musical sense, but in the way the conducted themselves on stage and with their fans. It was a great experience.

I listened to the National from afar and then made my way to Arcade Fire. Soundgarden had started 30 minutes before and the soundbleed over to the other side of the park was terrible. But I went to be one with my Arcade Fire fans, which was easy to do, because there were a lot of us and we were all into it. I have a love-hate relationship with Arcade Fire. I really didn’t get them until I saw them live and then it all made sense. I got a little bored here and there but then they would do some amazing song like “Neighborhood 3 (Power Out)” and I was sucked right back in. Plus there was a twitter rumour that David Bowie was going to join them on stage at some point and I would have kicked myself in the head if I missed that, so I sucked it up. The next to the last song (which Win said would be their last) was “Keep The Car Running” - everyone in the crowd was swaying along with their hands in the air. It was a sight to behold. And then they came back on stage and did “Wake Up”. A lot of people around me got emotional during this song and everyone there sang along. So worth staying even though Bowie never showed.

And that was it. We made our escape, all the while listening to random people still singing “Wake Up” and rolled over to the Hard Rock where we had a drink, looked around (Hi Britt from Spoon!) and bailed. I was pretty done and didn’t want to wait around for bands so off to the hotel and then late night dinner and drinks (where we ran into half of the National drinking Coronas and tequila). Which is how every festival should end.

Lollapalloza 2010: Day Two

 Rawk Shows   

So there was more to Day 2 than Stars. We had planned to bail out early since I have seen both Green Day and Phoenix and that is what we did. But I did get to catch a few sets. The rundown:

Harlem:
Pop Punkish trio from Austin, playing on one of the smaller side stages. I really dug the energy they brought to their set - all three of the band members sing along. Kinda felt like a throwback to boy bands that had multiple singers. That’s not necessarily a bad thing! I’d definitely see them again.

The XX:
They were on after Stars on the opposite stage. This was my first real clusterfiesta moment of the festival. I tried to get closer to the stage but the crowd has spilled onto the cement walkway and it was effing crazy! But since I had heard they were boring live, I didn’t really stick around. I will say that they did sound great. But definitely not a band you should be seeing in the middle of the day with a bunch of stoned teenagers.

Metric:
I’ve seen them a bunch and I just love Emily Haines so I trudged back over to see them. The crowd was considerably smaller than the one for XX, which was a bit surprising to me, but I wasn’t complaining at that point. Emily was her usual energetic self - if you’ve seen them on tour since they released Fantasies, you’ve pretty much seen the same show. Of course, the crowd loved the new ones - jumping around and singing along for “Help I’m Alive”, “Sick Muse” and “Gold Guns Girls”. I was happy that Emily threw us old fans a bone with “Dead Disco”. And then after an inspired “Stadium Love”, Emily surprised us with an acoustic version on their classic “Combat Baby”. That was a definitely a highlight for me.

At this point, I pretty much tapped out. Listened to a few Spoon songs from afar and bailed out for the rest of the night. I know, I missed both headliners....but it was pretty miserable out there and I was being eaten alive by mosquitos and other bugs so cutting out and getting real food and some cocktails were in order.

Lollapalooza 2010: Day Two: Stars

 Rawk Shows   

(Torq and Amy)

The highlight of day two was Stars so they get their own post. You guys have already heard me gush about them numerous times and this performance was again, a stellar one. Set list first.

Stars
Lollapalooza - Chicago, Ill
8/7/10

How Much More
Set yourself on Fire
Passenger
One More Night
Fixed
We Want Your Body
Ageless Beauty
Going Going Gone
I Died So I Could Haunt You
Elevator Love Letter
Wasted Daylight
Take Me to the Riot
Your Ex-lover is Dead

The band’s slot on Saturday was relatively early (2.15) so I figured I could get fairly close and I did. I was pretty much in my fangirl zone from the get-go but as I started to get into it, I noticed that the girl next to me was also singing along fervently and it made me feel even more connected with the band and the crowd. Because, really, it’s easy to catch that feeling between the emotion on stage and in the crowd. But I am getting ahead of myself. First off, I loved Amy’s sequined dress which reflected the stage lights and pretty much made it look like there were flashing lights on it. Awesome. I figured the set would have a bunch of new songs and it did.The material from their latest album Five Ghosts blended in well with the fan faves. Especially “Body”, “Haunt You” and “Wasted Daylight”. From their back catalog, the ones that had the most reaction with the crowd were the songs from Set Yourself on Fire. These songs always evoke sing-a-longs and even some tears in the crowd. Of course, I enjoyed Torq’s ever clever banter. And his dyanamic with Amy has never been stronger. As I am typing this, I am realizing that I am having trouble putting words to the emotions I felt during this set. This band just blows me away every time I see them. It’s a good feeling and I wouldn’t trade that show afterglow for anything. 

Lollapalooza 2010: Day One Recap

 Rawk Shows   

What an epic time at Lolla. Three days is a lot to write about in one post, so I won’t even attempt that. Plus I didn’t really take notes and I only have twitter and my memory to go by to write this. So we’ll go by day so you can get the feel of how it all shook out.

We didn’t arrive until 5ish when Devo went on. Didn’t really watch them as much as had them as bacground music while we oriented ourselves. But after their set, Matt and Kim were on and we stuck around for that since I am a fan. If you’ve seen Matt and Kim, you know it’s just the two of them, but they bring on a high energy set where people dance and sing along and are really part of the experience. Much fun. But after “Good Old Fashioned Nightmare”, we were off the check out the North Stage on the other side of the park where The Black Keys were playing next. I think seeing the Black Keys in a space such as the one at Lolla is optimum for what they do and was not disappointed. They ripped through their set hitting high points with crowd faves (like “Strange Times") but also made old school fans happy (especially with the set ending “Your Touch”. Checked out for the next band (Jimmy Cliff) but then was back at the North stage for the Strokes. Definitely excitement in the air before they came on. When they did come out, it was just an hour of awesome. Julian Casablancas is such a rock star. He was captivating to watch. They all were, to tell you the truth, but god, Julian is just fantastic. He was super talkative and so gracious. He said he was “psyched” to be at “Chicago-palooza” and that he had been waiting months to say that. Of course that just made the crowd love him more. And the set was perfect - I never saw them back in the day when they all drank too much and slurred their way through sets and I am glad that’s the case. This set was just one for the ages.

(setlist via Time Out NY)

The Strokes
Lollapalooza - Chicago, Ill
8/6/10

Juicebox
Someday
Under Control
Heart in a Cage
Take It or Leave It

And this ended day one.....

Lolla Contest

 Rawk Shows   

OMG, leaving for Chicago in less than 36 hrs and have to post this contest. Of course there are all sorts of parties and what not going on and unless you *know* someone, you’re kinda screwed, right? Well, Express is hosting three days of music at the Express Café (the Music Lounge in the Hard Rock Hotel), featuring performances by Stars, Neon Trees, The Constellations, and more.  Entry for these events can only be won through contests. The schedule/lineup:

Fri 8/6 - Sun 8/8 || 12pm - 6pm each day

FRIDAY 8/6
Performances by The Constellations, Marc Scibilia, Andrew Belle, and Mayaeni
SATURDAY 8/7
Performances by Stars, Neon Hitch, Stationary Set, and Erin Martin
SUNDAY 8/8
Performances by Neon Trees, Purple Apple Band, and Chiddy Bang

How to get in:
The only way to get into the party, is to text ‘EXPCAFE’ to EXPRES (397737) to sign up to receive EXPTXT Mobile Alerts & updates on how to get passes to the Express Cafe at the Hard Rock during Lollapalooza.  Contest ends Thurs 8/5.  Standard message & data rates may apply.

Good luck!!!

Heavy Rotation 1.0

 Rawk Tunes   

One of the main reasons I started this blog over 6 years ago was to share info about what I was listening to and what shows I attended. I think I am still fairly good at the show bit, but not so much on sharing what I have on heavy rotation. So I thought I’d start doing that again. Knowing my schedule, these posts are bound to sporadic, but if you really want an inkling and I haven’t posted in awhile, you can always check lastfm or blipfm. Lastfm is only hooked up to my work laptop, so it’s not a great representation of my overall listening habits, but I do tend to to use the “love” function quite a bit, so there’s that. I use blipfm when I want to post specific lyrics or am obsessing about a song.

So here goes…

Artist: Mates of State
Album: Crushes (The Covers Mixtape)
Key Tracks: “Laura”, “Love Letter”, “True Love Will Find You In The End”
Why oh why:
These covers have been transformed into the indie pop that Mates of State does so well.

Artist: Stars
Album: Five Ghosts
Key Tracks: “Wasted Daylight”, “We Don’t Want Your Body”, “The Last Song Ever Written”
Why oh why:
I listen to Stars often - mostly their 2005 release Set Yourself on Fire but I drop in another album of theirs to mix it up a bit and more often than not, it has been their latest release.

Artist: Best Coast
Album: Crazy For You
Key Tracks: “Boyfriend”,"Goodbye"
Why oh why:
More retro girl pop that I am loving so much.

Artist: Cee-Lo
Album: Twilight Eclipse Soundtrack
Key Tracks: “What Part of Forever”
Why oh why:
I’m totally obsessed with Cee-Lo these days. I can’t wait until his cover of Band of Horses’ “No One’s Gonna Love You” drops - I will play this on repeat non-stop when I have it in mp3 form. Really looking forward to his new album as well.

NPMT 2010 Session Guide

 Rawk Radio    Rawking   

NPMT is upon us and I’m sure some of you are trying to wade through the session schedule as well as the showcase schedule. Not sure if I’ll post anything about the showcase schedule, but you know that I am on it for the conference schedule. So here’s the schedule by date - the bolded sessions are the ones I will attend - I’ve also included the session description and the panel from the NPMT site.

Friday, August 13th:
1:15pm-2:30pm Music Industry 101: The Basics 2010 (Lafayette Room)
1:30pm-2:45pm Music From the Clouds: Is the Download Dead? (Mississippi Room)
1:45pm-3pm Lawyers, Guns & Money: Legal Issues For Musicians (New Orleans Room)
1:45pm-3pm Demo Review Session 1 (LaSalle Room)
2:45pm-4pm The Future of Music PR (Lafayette Room)
With the music business in a constant state of flux, this panel looks to address the future of PR (public relations/publicity) within that world. Much of the biz is now online, so panelists will discuss changes in distribution of information to the media as well as more basic issues such as working with a publicist vs. DIY. Whether you are looking to promote an artist or an album release, this panel will help you understand the mechanics of modern day music PR and offer useful tips and guidance.
Panelists include: Wendy Brynford-Jones (Hello Wendy PR), Lilledeshan Bose (OC Weekly), Jo-Ann Geffen (JAG PR), Josh Mills (It’s Alive Media), Steve Baltin (AOL’s spinner), Stefan Goldby (buzzine.com)
3pm-4:15pm Social Media and Music: Building Your Network (Mississippi Room)
So you have a MySpace site, Facebook page and Twitter account – now what? It can be overwhelming and confusing deciding how to reach out to fans and build audiences without flooding the world with irrelevant information. Join social media experts to learn how to use these online platforms strategically and to your advantage.
Panelists include: Jeff Kreinik (Front Gate Tickets), Tom Gimbel (Clatterhead), Jason Fisher (Epitaph Records), Larry Weintraub (Fanscape), Sara Berkowitz (Viper Room), Jeff Becker (J2X Media)
3:15pm-4:30pm Demo Review Session 2 (LaSalle Room)
3:15pm-4:20pm Performance Video & VJ’ing (New Orleans Room)
4:30pm-5:30pm Keynote Speaker: KIM FOWLEY (Mississippi Room)
6pm-8pm Happy Hour · Sound Diego presents
8pm-2am Music Festival

My commentary:

At the time of this posting, there wasn’t an update on the Music from the Clouds session - if there is an update on panelists, I will post. The “Lawyers, Guns and Money” session sounds lively! I’ve got a scheduling conflict between the “Future of Music PR” and the “Social Media” session but since the Social Media session has totally different panelists this year and not much has changed in Music PR in the last year, “Social Media” it is. I plan to live blog this one, so should be fun. And last, but not least, the Keynote. Wonder if Mr. Fowley will be commenting on Dakota Fanning and Kristin Stewart as Cherie Currie and Joan Jett in the movie....guess you’ll have to attend like the rest of us.

Saturday, August 14
11am-12:15pm Creating a Music Town (Lafayette Room)
We’d all like to see our respective music communities grow and thrive, and this panel will feature discussions on just that. From increasing audience size and working with other artists to grassroots efforts and corporate tie-ins, discover methods that have worked to strengthen music scenes in the past as well as new techniques for the future.
Panelists include: 1 - Josh Feingold (SESAC), Scott Pactor (Law Office Of Scott Pactor), Scott Sheldon (RM64.com), Mitchell Frank (Spaceland), Tim Mays (The Casbah)
11:15am-12:30pm Management 101: Guiding Your Career (Mississippi Room)
11:30am-1pm Demo Review Session 3 (LaSalle Room)
12:00pm-1:30pm Lawyers, Guns & Money: Legal Issues For Musicians (New Orleans Room)
1pm-2:15pm All Things Radio: Terrestrial, Satellite, Internet and College (Mississippi Room)
As radio continues to twist, turn and change before our ears, it’s becoming difficult to make sense of the numerous formats and technologies delivering music.  This panel of radio professionals from a diversity of backgrounds will help clear up the confusion and provide useful insight into each radio platform and how they can best serve local musicians.
Panelists include: Mike Halloran (radio professional), Garrett Capone (91X), Lisa Worden (KROQ), Gary Gorman (Atlantic Records), Christine Chiappetta (Island Def Jam Records), Kevin Stapleford (X1FM.com), Tazy Phillips (KROG The Rogue / skaparade.com)
1:15pm-2:30pm Demo Review Session 4 (LaSalle Room)
2pm-3:15pm Performance Video & VJ’ing (New Orleans Room)
2:30pm-3:45pm Using Music and Technology for the Greater Good (Lafayette Room)
For decades artists have utilized the power of music to effect social change and transform thought into action.  With the myriad of online tools and social networks available today, musicians are able to spread their influence and awareness through the Web in real time.  This panel will look at the best new media tools and approaches to take in introducing an artist’s cause or message.
Panelists include: Tim Sweeney (Tim Sweeney & Associates), Nic Adler (The Roxy), Kristin Rolla (Myspace Music), Abe Burns (Variety), Matthew Bates (Slacker.com), ben Patterson (DashGo.com)
2:45pm-4pm Getting Your Music Licensed (Mississippi Room)
3pm-4pm Demo Review Session 5 (LaSalle Room)
3:15pm-4:30pm Indie Labels: The Resurgence (New Orleans Room)
Indie labels have weathered the storm and are now setting the trend for sustainability in the music industry. This collection of artists, managers and indie label experts will address artist and label concerns, and take an up-close look at the current label landscape.
Panelists include: Brian Sharp (Century Media), Chris Trovero (Epitaph Records), Matt Halverson (Lefse Records / Waaga Records), Adrienne Lake (Bloat Records), Richard Laing (Sub Pop Records), Pete Klockau (Bloodshot Records)
4:15pm-5:45pm Songwriters Circle: Discussion & Performance (Mississippi Room)
6pm-8pm Happy Hour · INDIGENOUS presents
8pm-2am Music Festival

My commentary:
Nice surprise to see Mr. Cat Dirt himself on the “Creating a Music Town” panel. I have my own ideas about this and especially with regards to SD, so definitely not one to miss if you can drag yourself there by 11am. Featured session for me today is the “All Things Radio”. You have to go just for Halloran, right? But seriously, with three panelists with current or former ties to XTRA and the PD of the undisputed king of terrestrial alt rock radio KROQ, there are bound to be some interesting discussions. Of course, all of you techies will be in the “Using Music and Technology” session - glad to see Mat Diablo from Slacker representing there. I’ll also pop into the “Indie Labels” session after “Using Music and Technology” - another great panel.

Intrigued? You know it. Buy tix here. I’ll see you there!