Plans/Suggestions

I suggest listening to this: Herzog

I also suggest attending Berea Fest this year Friday July 16 and Saturday July 17. All the information is here: Bereafest.org

I also also am going to get this blog rolling by posting a show review from every show I have attended and will attend in the year 2010. I stole this idea from Ryan at FriendsandWieners, but it appears he has stopped with his last show of 2009. I'd say I am picking up where he left off, but there is no way I can top his awesome razor-cake-esque reviews, but i'll try.

Tons of new shows posted on the right side of the page --->

I know the blog still sucks.

Ridiculous

This Blog Sucks

This blog sucks.
Go to the shows that are listed on the side a little further down --->
There's a one tonight and two tomorrow.
Seriously.
Go.

Ted Leo

I went to see Ted Leo and the Pharmacists at the Grog Shop with Mike. I think it bought me a little hand in convincing him to go to shows with me as Ted and the gang did not disappoint. I met Mikey at Panini's for a beer. He was there with two of his cousins, Danny and Maura. Maura plays in the famous Beardo Bandini who I saw January of last year at a free show also at the Grog Shop with Hot Cha Cha and the Dreadful Yawns. Beardo Bandini were great. They were a little DIY, a little art school, and little chaotic, but also cute. Maura is also in a band that was formed through the Beachland's Lottery League 2010. They're called World War V and will be playing at the Beachland for "The Big Show" on Saturday, April 10. Danny is cool too. We're starting a band called World War VI.

A band called Title Tracks opened. They sounded just like Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. This is not a bad thing, but when you're opening for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists it might be, but hey, you're on tour opening for Ted Leo and the Pharmacists what do you care - good for them.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists rocked song and after song to a packed crowd. Favorites "Me & Mia" and "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" especially got the crowd singing along. I had heard these songs before, maybe on the radio or MTVU, but had never really paid them much attention or really gotten into their back catalogue. Then, a few months ago, I was on Matablog and read that TL/Rx signed with Matador to put out their new record The Brutalist Bricks. Something compelled me to listen to "Where Was My Brain?" - a new song that was going to be on the record. I ended up listening to that song on repeat for hours day after day, but somehow never checked out the rest of their catalogue. Why? I have no idea. Looking back it makes no sense. I have been aware of this band since their days on Lookout! records, yet I've never checked them out. Perhaps the title of the one song I finally listened to, and ending up loving by them, fittingly asks the same question I asked myself when wondering why I hadn't checked them out sooner. Despite only really knowing one song and having only heard a few others from time to time, I knew it was going to be a great show and it turned out I was right. Ted and the band rocked. He hit every note, the band played tight, I shared a few PBR tall boys with Mike and Danny, and I went nuts when they played "Where Was My Brain?" I couldn't have asked for more. They even covered "Dirty Deeds" by AC/DC with a young fellow from the audience as their lead singer. Upon further investigation, I discovered this is not an uncommon practice for the band. They have a karaoke songlist that they occasionally tap into during live sets. Some Songs include "Rise Above" by Black Flag and "Merchandise" by Fugazi. Why didn't I know about this? Again, Ted Leo and Pharmacists were being awesome and I was completely unaware of it. Thankfully, I picked up a copy of their new record after the show in hopes to finally fall in love with all of their songs, not just one.

Jaked On Green Beers

I went to the Alkaline Trio/Cursive concert. It was fun. I got to hear "From the Hips" - the only Cursive song I know, but their set motivated me to try a little harder to check out their catalogue. A while back I even bookmarked the free download section of Cursive's website, but I haven't made any progress on listening to them. Their set was very tight. They played with a passion for their music that wasn't over-the-top or threatening, but made you want to sing along and rock out with them even though you don't know the words. That's exactly the type of performance that makes me want to drive down to the record store after a show and buy their record. Good job Cursive.

Alkaline Trio wrote some really good songs. Then they took the riffs and structures of those songs and tweaked them just a little and wrote more songs. Songs that sound kinda almost like the ones that they already wrote, but are a little different here and there. I guess many bands are guilty of that, but Alkaline Trio do it best. They unpredictably opened with "This Addiction" (their new single) and closed with "Radio" and by "unpredictably" I mean "totally expected." I was "stoked" to hear "Mr. Chainsaw", "Goodbye Forever", "Nose Over Tail", and "97." "Armageddon", "Fuck You Aurora" and a Misfits cover of "Attitude" were nice touches as well, but I had a tough time recognizing songs from the rest of the set. Some of it is due to the aforementioned similarities many of their songs have, but also the fact that I am reluctant to give their last three records a listen. (C'mon Joe - Hey I have better things to do like write blog posts once every two weeks and watch The Office marathons on TBS) On the plus side, "97" might be one of my favorite songs of all time and hearing it live was awesome. It reminded me that I recorded a cover of it the first time I laid down some demos with Mike "Mad Dog" Safran. What's that? You'd like to hear it? Okay, but I'll warn you, it was recorded all the way back in 2006. So was I motivated to go buy the new Alkaline Trio record after hearing their set just like Cursive's set influenced me? No, not at all, but I do have Alkaline Trio's back catalogue and it will always get me excited even if their new records don't.

NFG

I thought about going to the NFG/STD concert tonight at the House of Blues. I know, I know, I'm crazy right? I should just stay home and listen to some Animal Collective, maybe read some Tao Lin, and take it easy. Why would I want to delve back into my high school music library? The one reason why I might give it some thought is that NFG is playing their self-titled record in its entirety. That might be kind of cool right? Perhaps its just wishful thinking or in some weird way maybe I'm trying to make up for the fact that I missed the Pixies playing Doolittle in its entirety this past fall? No, that's ridiculous and I'd be running the risk of being severely fined/arrested for mentioning the Pixies and NFG in the same post. Heck the last time I listed to NFG was...last night. Yeah, I got my big old box of CDs out of the closet, went to the letter "N" (they're alphabetized of course) and got that self-titled disk that NFG penned way back in the year 2000. I remember loving this record, but as soon as I heard the opening chords of "Better Off Dead" I knew this was going to be a strange trip down memory lane. Unfortunately, I'm still on that trip since the song is still stuck in my head. I heard the oh so very catchy melodies that these wonderfully crafted pop/punk songs have to offer. I heard again why everyone thought Jordan Pundik's voice was so nasally. I heard lyrics that really resonated with me 10 years ago. I heard that bassline in "Sincerely Me" that was and is still pretty cool. Yet, somehow it wasn't the good nostalgia I had hoped for. The album is still catchy as hell, but it just didn't sound as cool as it use to. Ten years ago I hoped this day would never come.

So am I going to the concert? Well...if a few of my high school pals were still in town and they expressed some interest...maybe, but am I going to go it alone and for $30? I think not. Now the case can be made that I would also get to see Saves the Day, but the only record by them that I've ever really listened to is Stay What You Are, and is another record I haven't listen to in a long time, but might still be worth a listen. (I did get In Reverie from the library once, but I remember it not being so great.) On the other hand, New Creases's new 7" just got compared to early STD and I haven't been able to stop listening to their demo since I got it at Berea Fest. Apparently I really missed the boat on Can't Slow Down and Through Being Cool. I'll finally have to check those out after over a decade since their release.

Plus the show is at the House of Blues. I have absolutely nothing against Dan Aykroyd or Paul Shaffer - some of the original financiers of the concert venue, but I really hate giving my money to LiveNation who now owns it. All in all I think I'm just wishing I would have seen them play at the Agora Ballroom on October 26, 2002 when the line-up was New Found Glory, Finch, Further Seems Forever, and Something Corporate. I would have heard most of the songs I would hear tonight and be totally stoked on them, but I wasn't ever a fan of any of those other bands so maybe it wasn't such a loss.

So I think I'm just going to put the NFG record back in the giant box of CDs and not listen to it for another 10 years or so. Oh and while I was in that box I also pulled out Alkaline Trio's self-titled collection of 7", EP, and compilation tracks in preparation for their $30 concert this Thursday at the House of Bl....wait a second.

PBR

Hi, This is my first post on my first blog. Several people have suggested blogging so I'm going to give it a try. I'm thinking there will be a lot of music suggestions and reviews as well as other thoughts. We'll see what happens. Right now its its pretty open ended. One thing is for sure though, I will be posting all the best upcoming concerts in the greater Cleveland area that I feel are worth attending.

Right now all I want to do is order one of these: PBR Winter Cap