Friday, June 27, 2008

Pearl Jam at MSG

There is an extremely limited number of bands that can launch a tour with no new material or significant media promotion around it. There’s even fewer who could sell out 2 nights at Madison Square Garden, even with a full-on media blitz. All Pearl Jam had to do was announce the shows on their website and they sold out in minutes. That’s the kind of power they retain after years of consistent good material and most importantly always doing the right thing for their fans. They’re the only band left standing that came out of the ‘grunge-rock’ explosion in the early 90’s, and Tuesday night’s show demonstrated that their popularity has seemed to only increase with time.
The wailed through classics like “Evenflow”, “Eldery Woman...” and “Daughter” but it was their non radio-hits that went over best and give an important signal into the depth of their fanbase. Songs like “Given to Fly”, “Faithful”, “Present Tense”, and one of my favorite PJ deep cuts, “Indifference”.
Greatest of all to see at this show is the energy. The band’s and the crowd’s. It what seems to be missing in rock music today, but not at a Pearl Jam gig. This clip says it all, how they're able to create a wild, rock-club like atmosphere in a huge arena, everyone on their feet and totally going for it. As all the comments on YouTube and message boards have been evangelizing, an absolutely killer show.

Friday, June 20, 2008

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers at MSG

A perfect show. 2 of my all-time favorites, Tom Petty and Steve Winwood, on one bill at the worlds most famous arena. After a fabulous opening set from Winwood, where he's showing how he's quickly becoming one of the world's best guitarists as well as keyboard playing, TP and company took the stage and wailed through 2 straight hours.
There's not many shows you can attend these days where you know and love every single song the band plays, but after 22 years of non-stop hits this is what their shows delivers. SO many classic tunes. Tom Petty is just an institution at this point, a desert island that you can spend months on end listening to alone. And I can't complete this without noting how truly ridiculous Mike Campbell is on the guitar. The Heartbreakers and arguably Tom Petty wouldn't be what they are without him. Man I wish these guys played every weekend.
As for the best of the night, even though every classic Heartbreakers song rocked the house, I have to go with this, when Steve came out and joined the band to render one of his rock hey-dey classics. The guitar playing!!! Check the way Campbell and Winwood lock into each other around 3:58 and just let it unfold. Also notice how TP backs off to sideman and lets these 2 take the wheel. Ridiculously good.

Friday, June 13, 2008

I Walk On Guilded Splinters

Rousing jam as we head into the weekend. Figures that the kick-ass guitar part came courtesy of Duane Allman, there's just something ferocious about it. Some will know this opening part too, famously borrowed in Oasis's classic "Go Let It Out".
Thanks to JB down south for hipping me to this one.


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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

This show at MSG Theater last night was as beautiful an evening of music as you could ask for. The unusual yet effective mix of blue-grass pleasantry, solemn hymms and reworked rock-n-roll classics left the audience spellbound, and I had a hard time concentrating all the way through to this afternoon.
I never thought "Black Country Woman" from Physical Graffiti was one of Led Zeppelin's greatest songs but now I know that it is. And "Battle Of Evermore" seems like it can now finally be complete with Ms. Krauss' vocal backings.

Plant looked as god-like as his legend backs him up to be, and appeared to genuinely be enjoying himself with this project that nobody could have ever predicted to be so good. I was as excited as anybody about the prospect of Led Zeppelin touring this summer, but after seeing this show I can almost understand why he said no and went out to play the music that most inspired him. As for Alison Krauss, there wasn't one rocker who left this show not having declared themselves a new fan.

This record continues to carve out a very special place, and if you have a chance to catch this show live you do not want to miss it.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Eddie Vedder & My Morning Jacket

Filmed in 2006 when MMJ was opening for Pearl Jam in Europe, this cover of The Who's mini rock-opera "A Quick One" totally kills. Hang in there for this, runs 9 minutes long but what a JAM! This kind of performance makes you want to drop everything your doing and go join a band.



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Thursday, June 5, 2008

Gideon

I'm starting to get psyched to hear MY MORNING JACKET'S new album, out next week, and have been playing their excellent 2nd album Z non-stop this week.
Favorite track on this is "Gideon", no question.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Dry The Rain

Do you know this wickedly awesome tune by the Beta Band?
Exposed to the masses in the great scene in HIGH FIDELITY?
What a jam. I had the same reaction as the dude in the movie the second I heard this too. Love the lazy beginning and how it just cruises to the 2 mintue mark before switching gears. Such a great build, like more band members kept entering the studio and picking up instruments to join in. The bass line steers this thing out. Even with the near-perfect hype-up from this film the Beta Band never really seemed to go over, but its not because they didn't have songs.



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Monday, June 2, 2008

RIP Bo Diddley

As he reminded us in those great 80's Nike commercials, Bo certainly did know diddley. What a pioneer of the rock-n-roll sound, what an animal!! Look at the way he rocked the house here and had the girls going apeshit. And who was this woman he had in has band??! Singing backup AND playing guitar. Could this guy have been any cooler? Probably not. He'll certainly be missed.



Millennium Collection