Live show specifics II
Mood:  lyrical
Topic: Music

Nine Inch Nails

I was thinking about this the other day upon hearing that they were playing nearby. I could not go, but it reminded me of when I saw them on the original Lollapalooza tour. They were EASILY the highlight of the concert.

I saw the tour date at Great Woods (before it was known as Tweeter Center or whatever the hell they call it now) in Mansfield, Mass. The tour's lineup featured Rollins Band, Butthole Surfers, Siuoxsie and the Banshees, Ice-T and Body Count, Living Colour, and Jane's Addiction.

Rollins Band was excellent. It is really hard to match Henry Rollins' intensity. Ever. He is always intense.

I don't even remember the Surfers' set. At all. I might have been socializing. I may have been buying a T-shirt. I just might have been in the rest room.

Siouxsie and the Banshees did not perform because Siouxsie Sioux was ill. This also made the concert great, since I had no fondness for that band at all and was anticipating being absent from my seat in the pavilion for that set.

I remember Jane's Addiction being good and entertaining, but I can't relay any particulars anymore. Although from that concert, my opinion of "Mountain Song" increased, so I can only assume that their live rendition must have been electric.

Living Colour was outstanding. I vividly recall Corey Glover being a ball of energy, moving all about the stage, even climbing the stacks and singing from about 20 feet above the stage. And Vernon Reid impressed me even more with his amazing guitar work.

However, nothing matched Trent Reznor and company. This was, of course, the band's first real tour. Considering it was in support of the debut "Pretty Hate Machine" album AND until the tour, NIN was basically JUST Reznor... However, he commanded the stage. He commanded attention. And his delivery of "Down In It" and "Head Like a Hole," among others, were mesmerizing.

Then there was the keyboard player. I was transfixed by him and his performance. I want to say he was stage center, but how could I be certain since he was absolutely the center of MY attention. I can't remember anymore what kind of keyboard he was using, but let's just say it was a Korg for imagery. It had a handful of cables tethered to the back as it should for power and sound. It was also on a rather traditional keyboard stand, with the criss-cross legs.

Well, the musician would come down on the keys so damn hard I was sure the instrument, not the musician, was getting callouses. It was dramatic and theatrical. The musician's right foot was also on the right leg of the stand for a distinct purpose - keeping the instrument within reach. The keyboard and stand was constantly rocking to and fro, partially from the musician's poweful downward thrusts onto the keys. And instead of the keyboard falling over as he pounded down, he would rock it back to him with his foot.

I don't remember the specific song anymore, but during one rather rousing tune, his foot failed to catch the rocking Korg as it tilted away from him. It tipped over and the keyboard skidded along the stage toward the edge. I'm not even sure the instrument had stopped moving when one of the band's technicians was setting the stand back upright and placing ANOTHER cabled Korg for the musician to play. And then retrieving the undoubtedly battered old Korg from the front of the stage and carrying it away.

And the new Korg was immediately waving to the fans with no hesitation; its performer undaunted to beat this one into submission as well. And the previous Korg was probably already prepared for a reappearance, though it would not be needed. Obviously the tech's quick response HAD to be based on expectation of such instrument tumble.

Oh, and I remember Ice-T ranting about censorship and police brutality and such, while performing a bunch of tunes from Body Count's debut album.

I am sure NIN is till a riveting concert, but I somehow anticipate that if I had gone to the nearby show the other day, I would have been one of the oldest people in the crowd and one of the few who was not pre-pubescent when Pretty Hate Machine came out.

Anticipating One Hundred Million Suns
Mood:  lyrical
Now Playing: My "Snow Patrol Station" on Pandora.com
Topic: Music

Ever since I first heard "Run," I've been into Snow Patrol. Their albums "Final Straw" and "Eyes Open" are outstanding recordings. I remember thinking how "Eyes Open" was a much different sounding record. I remember thinking that "Chasing Cars" was probably too instrumentally sparse for it too hit radio depsite being the best song on the album. I remember thinking that they are obviously a band that is going to change gears, change production styles, change moods, and change styles continuously. I remember thinking that at some point they will release a clunker, and maybe just when they are on the verge of worldwide domination.

Here's a band that has not band the inroads in the U.S. as much as they have in Europe. I have heard some (thanks Pandora), but don't own any of their older pre-Final Straw stuff. That material is different too, though their tunes have become more accessible by just continuously growing, maturing, and improving their craft.

Then I got obsessed with their song from Spider-Man 3 - "Signal Fire." How did THAT song not become bigger than "Chasing Cars" in the U.S.? Now, the new album is due out next week. One Hundred Million Suns is easily their most anticipated release due to their growing success. And the first single, "Take Back the City," is fueling the growing buzz. It has some of the glossy rocking quality that really first appeared on "Eyes Open," but it still seems like a change, again for good.

Snow Patrol.com subscribers/members are able to listen to the album in its entirety starting today. I'm heading there next, because I can't wait for my pre-ordered album to download on Tuesday. I need my Snow Patrol fix NOW.

Review of Keane's Perfect Symmetry
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Keane - Perfect Symmetry
Topic: Music

Thanks to a pre-release exclusive streaming on Last.fm, Keane's third album, "Perfect Symmetry," is available for all to hear. Unfortunately, that could be a problem for album sales.

I love Keane's first two albums, "Hopes and Fears" and "Under the Iron Sea." The former was often simple in its arrangements while the latter was an expected maturation and exploration by a band that was fully in stride.

Keane is a trio from the UK that is basically keys, bass, drums. They are not as anthemic or bombastic as Coldplay, but certainly are following in that acoustic piano, tenor vocals, emo vibe. However, there's something poppier in that Brit way while sometimes being uncommercial in texture - see "Bedshaped" from "Hopes and Fears," which was still a single overseas.

Back to "Perfect Symmetry," I am surprised to find less Keane-like sounding material. I expect a continued growth from any band. And I expect there to be some experimentation and such. Still, there are songs on this new album that sound more like "Sam's Town" era The Killers, some early '80s David Bowie, and ABC.

Oh, and let me not be remiss in remarking that Tom Chaplin, the cherubic lead singer with the amazing voice, is now wielding a guitar, both in the studio and on stage. The inclusion of guitar in their music also makes them MORE like everyone else and LESS like who they previously were.

That does not mean there are not purchase-worthy tracks, however. The title track and "Black Burning Heart" are among those that leapt out from the 11 cuts on the album. Certainly a major part of the band's previous and future success is the overall songwriting consistency that comes from Tim Oxley-Rice, the chief songwriter and pianist.

"Black Burning Heart," in particular, still retains that piano-based upbeat pop-rock song with strong lyrics and vocals, but the bass line is much stronger and resonant than in other cuts, which helps it jump from my earpieces with a graceful ease.

Overall, I will probably come to fully include this album on my iPod like the others, but I can promise it will never eclipse Keane's first two releases in terms of "favorite" or "best."

UPDATE: Now that I have purchased my copy and can obsess... Here is some new insight. I really do like it. It is still not close to the previous releases. However, where I said the sound could alter sales. Nix that. After having sold 8 million copies of the first two albums, and "Spiralling" (the first single) already charting high in Europe and winning awards, this will honestly just launch them into the straosphere.

Truthfully, the new music is so vibrant, poppy, dancy, and fuller-sounding, the music can now fill the biggest arenas like never before. Keane has a great personality and stage presence, mostly from singer Tom Chaplin. They are only going to get bigger.

What I do find curious though is how distinctly unoriginal some of their new songs seem. It's new to them for sure, but when "Spiralling" could be compared in critic-ese as David Gray fronting ABC, the second single "Lovers are Losing" is 21st century Euro-pop meets 1970s disco (Brandon Flowers singing for ABBA anyone?), and the tune "Better Than This" totally seems like a rip from early '80s Bowie, then I'm not sure how adventuresome this group is.

I'm all for experimentation and musical exploration, but the overly retro-poppy thing is fun, but I'm not so sure it's what I, as a Keane fan, was hoping for or expecting.

Music!!!
Mood:  lyrical
Now Playing: A great mix via Pandora.com
Topic: Music

I have been on a music high for many many months now. Originally starting about four years ago with the introduction of The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Scissor Sisters, Green Day ("American Idiot" specifically) and Snow Patrol to my ears, I have been almost osbessive about the new alternative music of this time frame.

I find it amazing how much great music is out there - and how many avenues there are to finding it all.

For a couple years I was doing some heavy CD trading with a work buddy, which built up my digital library with albums from Death Cab For Cutie, The Strokes, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Keane, Interpol, Kaiser Chiefs, The Postal Service, Modest Mouse, etc. It was a great relationship, because I was listening to Virgin Music (UK) online and the rebirth of WFNX. So I would share tunes I liked or had purchased with my buddy. He did not do much online stuff. So he would end up buying the stuff he liked that I played for him, then I'd borrow it, rip it, and give it back. I would also burn him CDs of older stuff he missed when we were younger, such as Peter Murphy, The Replacements, The Samples, Bauhaus, Bob Mould/Sugar, Joy Division, etc.

Plus, I was adding stuff to my library on my own with Coldplay, The Bravery, The Killers, Snow Patrol, etc.

In the past year I was inspired to go hunting for free downloads online - to which I was told about or discovered some great music-related sites and blogs, including the essential Selective Service, Who Needs Radio?, PopMatters, and more.

I've been an avid iTunes guy for years, but with the addition of an iPod about 18 months ago, I am just always music-centric. Fortunately, I can either plug into the Web or listen to my iPod at work. And thusly, I've gotten two physical CDs in the past 18-24 months (The Bravery "The Sun and the Moon" and The Killers "Sawdust"), whereas I have probably a few dozen digital albums in that same time.

Thanks to those great sites and blogs (and friends, too) I have found The Enemy, The Heavy, Ready Fire Aim, Flight of the Conchords, and more. Plus, I've learned I am LATE to the party regarding mailing lists. It's amazing the stuff one can get from favorite artists when on these lists: such as the latest Nine Inch Nails album "The Slip" in its entirety for free, bonus tracks when pre-ordering whole albums, etc., not to mention the free downloads that some bands offer through their sites once you become a member of their site and/or mailing list. Of course, some bands suck in this regard, but I won't hold it against them. They need to make a living and they can't just give it all away.

What is great though is that so many artists these days are aware of the affect free downloads have in the positive aspects. Example: Because of free downloads of some songs, I've explored the bands, and then later purchased more tunes via iTunes. Otherwise, I may NEVER have heard them at all.

Now, I was just introduced to Pandora.com. WOW. I chose just ONE band for a playlist to be created from, and it is like listening to my iPod. I selected Snow Patrol. They are not my favorite band, but I thought that since they can be emo, rock, pop, orchestral, acoustic, that it might create a broad soundscape. Ironically, the "radio station" created for me has played songs I have from Death Cab, Guster, The Killers, Muse, Coldplay, and more. But also it has played a song I really liked from a band I'd never heard before called The Last Goodnight, plus songs from The Fray and Jimmy Eat World I had not heard before and also liked.... hmmm, I could get pretty darn hooked.

Now, so far this mix has been more on the mellow side, which is fine, but I also like to power up with The Strokes, Shiny Toy Guns, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Cold War Kids, Racoteurs, White Stripes, etc. So I think I will add one of these bands to my "radio station" to see how it affects the mix... how exciting.

Lastly, this is telling: I am EXCITED about pre-ordering the new Keane and Snow Patrol due out this fall. But I am a little apprehensive about the new The Killers and Shiny Toy Guns that are also coming out. The Guns first album blew my mind, but they've changed female singers and the first single from the new album is a definite departure from the band's previous sound.

P.S. Check out The Airborne Toxic Event and Vampire Weekend.

Finger crossing
Mood:  sad
Now Playing: Coldplay - Viva La Vida (album)
Topic: Music

So I just got an e-mail from The Stone Church about upcoming concerts there. For those who don't know, The Stone Church is in Newmarket, N.H., and is simply the best place to hear live music in New Hampshire.

The venue is historic - yes, it was a church at one time, along with other ventures before music hotspot - and worth a far better fate than what could happen. Apparently the owners have large debt, mainly stemming from the grand renovations afew years ago, and a slower economic stream (I wonder why?), which is making it less viable.

The owners are considering the option of going nonprofit, but that's not an easy process. It is much easier for a business to start as a nonprofit than to become one. Either way, the owners are hoping to generate some interest and bucks with some fundraising.

I wish I could be of more help than writing a blog entry in a blog that no one reads. I have been to the Stone Church countless times in the past 14 years, though apologetically only once in the past four years.

I produced/promoted a couple shows there in conjunction with Jam Music Magazine, a now-defunct monthly music newsprint magazine of which I once was editor/publisher. I have seen many, many music acts perform there, such as Truffle, The Samples, Percy Hill, thanks to gravity, Lemon Fresh Kids, Pondering Judd, Famous, Eric Colville, Seeking Homer, Dreadnaught, Ron Noyes Band, and on and on.

It would be extremely sad to see this landmark become some other type of business, or worse, neglected.

Below is a link to a story that ran in the Portsmouth Herald:

http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080606/NEWS/806060423

And please visit The Stone Church Web site http://www.thestonechurch.com - maybe you'll notice a band, artist, or musical style that intrigues you and will get you back to this great place (or visiting for the first time).

With Jam, there was a time (2002?) when we reported on the imminent demise of The Stone Church, when the previous owners could no longer tackle this labor of love. The Church was stagnant and quiet for awhile before the current ownership group took it over. I hope if this team ceases operation that maybe, just maybe, another optimistic group will come in and have better success.

 

Ironically, I received an e-mail yesterday from The Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry about their upcoming shows. They too were announcing business-related news within their regular mailing. However, they were confirming rumors of growth.

The Tupelo, formerly known as the Muse at the Gray Goose, has been having a much better time than the Church. Catering mostly to a different demographic, the Tupelo is another great N.H venue, having hosted (or will hot) such acts as The Fixx, Paula Cole, Livingston Taylor, Glen Phillips, Melissa Ferrick, Cowboy Junkies, Arlo Guthrie, Bill Morrissey, Pendragon, Tim Janis, Bruce Cockburn, Tim Reynolds, and on and on.

The owners of The Tupelo are planning a move to neighboring Derry, which will include a state-of-the-art facility, more seating, more parking, 20,000 sq. ft. of retail space, and 20,000 sq. ft. of office space on nine acres of land.

Hopefully, The Stone Church can buck this current economic downswing (recession) and thrive upon the other side; probably never as surprisingly successful as the Tupelo, but no less vital and important to the state's music and arts communities.

Mood:  bright
Now Playing: Snow Patrol -

It's been a busy few weeks. Lots of springtime yard work, play time with my wife and son, 6th wedding anniversary, a date night, bathroom shopping, work and work, more Strat teams, a Strat championship (my 2nd), listening to and trying to find great music, and getting a new (used) car. Phew!

I have been thinking about trying to load up my site with my old published clips, many many links to my credits that are online, and writing new things here on the blog. Maybe I will start reviewing new music here and people will come from town around (typo and non-tech intended) to read what I have to say again.

Also, I've been thinking that Talking Heads' "Once in a Lifetime" is a pretty damn good theme song:

"My God, what have I done?!"

"How did I get here?"

But in a good way, because truthfully EVERYTHING is once in a lifetime. Every decision made leads to more decisions. Even if some decisions are the same over and over (e.g., turn left or right here?), every decision, choice, option, event, etc. is once only, for that moment in time.

That's it for now. I have a meeting to go to.

Defense in Boston
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: Strat-O-Matic
Fielding in Fenway for the Red Sox has always been a mixed bag. But winning the Gold Glove is not common in Boston.

And they had Dwight Evans in RF, who is still one of the best defensive RF I have ever seen - 8 gold gloves.
In the '80s they went through a plethora of CF looking for that one guy who could hit and field. Rick Miller, Reid Nichols, Garry Hancock, Tony Armas, Dave Henderson, Kevin Romine, etc. until they finally got Ellis Burks (1 gold glove). Of course, I think Crisp could have gotten one last year, and maybe Ellsbury will in the future.
In LF, they've always settled for the offense, though some have played better defensively than others: Teddy Ballgame, Yaz, Jim Ed, Greenie, Troy O'Leary, and Manny. Yaz (7 gold gloves) was easily the best of that bunch defensively.
First base was often where older or slower guys played, a la Yaz, Buckner, Baylor, Vaughn, Ortiz. Though Youkilis is a Gold Glover now, and with Lowell out, Sean Casey is not shabby there.
Catcher was always pretty good, though more about knowing how to call a game and manage pitchers than be a Gold Glover: Gedman, MacFarlane, Tony Pena (1 gold glove), Cerone, Mike Stanley, and Varitek (one gold glove).
Middle infield was weird. For a long time, they seemed to shuffle through guys trying to find the right blend. Marty Barrett, Jackie Gutierrez, Glenn Hoffman, Spike Owen, Luis Rivera, Jody Reed, and so on. Then they had some good ones for a while with John Valentin, Nomah!, Scott Fletcher, Scott Cooper, and Tim Naehring. In fact, I bet they're best infield defense of the 1980-2000 era was when they had Valentin at 2B, Nomar at SS, and Naehring at 3B.
Wade Boggs was the only Red Sox infielder in this period to win any gold gloves, except he wasn't a Red Sox by then. Statistically, if you go by the research done by www.baseball-reference.com, Boggs had his best defensive seasons in 1995 and 1996 in New York, but he got the GG in 1994 and 1995.

An aside: When Boggs first came up in 1982, they tried him at 1B because third was occupied by Carney Lansford. In the offseason, they let Lansford go via FA, and Boggs got the 3B job. Dave Stapleton was the full-time 1B, though Boggs played 44 games there in 1982.

Also, as for 1s at 3B in Strat, I recall Gary Gaetti and Robin Ventura being among the few to get them in the '80s and early '90s (with Pendleton and Schmidt, so a 2 was deemed great when I played tabletop. In fact I think guys like Kelly Gruber and Tim Wallach were never 1s in Strat, though they won gold gloves.

Lastly, Keith Hernandez and Jody Davis are 2s in 1986 Strat - but won the Gold Glove. For Hernandez, it was his 9th of 11 honors.

Reflections
Mood:  not sure

I was entered into a reflective mood this morning thanks to a prompt about a past workplace.

It reminded me about how I had to get where I got, and where I am now.

I struggled, fought, and often did things my way to finally get to where I wanted to be in the journalistic world. I did everything in a bass ackwards way. My college education was incomplete as it turns out. It was kind of superficial, and no one encouraged, let alone pushed, me to do an internship anywhere. I was somehow fooled into believing that education and the college newspaper was all that was needed to enter the professional world.

My result was that I moved to the city of a paper I liked and made a nuisance of myself with the paper's HR manager until I finally got a job as a layout specialist. This was before pagination, so people like myself were responsible for taking columns of raw copy and pasting it onto grids that were then shot by a camera to become film, which then in turn was made into plates that were put on the press.

I learned more about page design, journalism, newspaper protocol, office politics, how to work with people, and more from my three years doing that than anything in college.

In the meantime, I was trying to endear myself with some folks at the paper. To get them to believe I could be a reporter - sports, news, whatever. I even quit for a summer in order to get published. I had been there two years and the paper would not "assign" me stories on top of the full-time position I held. So I left and pursued free-lancing, which really meant getting this paper to take me seriously. I did mostly feature stories and soft news that summer, and had all but two stories accepted and published.

Then I ran out of money. I got my old layout specialist position back, but with an addendum - I got a column covering the local music scene, which introduced me into a whole new world with which I fell in love.

Subsequently I and a paper colleague started our own music magazine in 1996. It was a tabloid newsprint-sized monthly. Two years later my partner decided he wanted out, so I acquired his portion of the paper and after 24 months and issues as a partnership, I published 76 more issues before I sold it.

During that time I left the daily newspaper, lost thousands of dollars to my business, and spent time working as a pizza delivery guy and as a banquet captain at an upscale inn.

Learning the music business while learning how to run a publishing business was quite the education unto itself. I knew far less than I thought, but in the end knew far more than many journalists I know because I had to do it all - sell ads, distribute, market, design pages, write, hire, fire, balance books, etc.

I left the magazine behind to get back into the daily news world, taking a job as wire and entertainment editor of a small free daily. It was a great experience. And I learned more about publishing there. And I learned more about myself and my abilities. I never once doubted I could do anything I wanted, even when others were unsure and unconvinced.

But in 2007, I left the news biz behind again. And this time, probably for good. I became a daddy in 2006. And the grueling schedules of a daily newpaper editor is not a conducive lifestyle for a family man. Family is always first for me. Always. So I had to look for something different. Part of me was ready for anything, even if it had nothing to do with English, journalism, publishing, etc.

Now I am at a great company where I am an editor working on educational material. In some small way I am helping our youth and helping our struggling education system in America. And my strengths that were often overlooked or undervalued in the newspaper biz are challenged and rewarded everyday.

But first and foremost, I am husband and father. And that is where I am now.

Strat heaven
Mood:  incredulous
Topic: Strat-O-Matic

So, I reached 1,600 wins Monday morning.

As of Tuesday morning I have not reached 1,600 losses, though it will happen tonight. I feel like I have finally secured a better than .500 win pct. But, then I have 9 1986 teams, and 6 have winning records.

 Now the challenge is to see if I can win a second ATG3 ring. And maybe throw in a 1986 one while I'm at it.

Live show specifics
Mood:  caffeinated
Now Playing: Keane - Hopes and Fears
Topic: Music

Some of the notable shows from my list for specifics:
Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead was my first-ever concert. July 4, 1987, Foxboro Stadium. Now that's an indoctrination.
I saw the first Lollapalooza tour (Jane's, Living Colour, NIN, etc.).
My two Dave Matthews Band shows were when they were opening for The Samples at the Orpheum in Boston and State Theater in Portland, Maine - 1993 or 1994 I think. Yup - blew my friggin' mind. Best opening band ever.
I first saw Neil Young in 1991 in Tampa, Fla. He was awesome, touring for Ragged Glory, and still on that Freedom high. Sonic Youth and Social Distortion opened. Social D played 5-6 songs and was awesome, though I was bummed the set was so short. Sonic Youth came out, played "Kool Thing" and then launched into some distortion/feedback thing, placed their guitars next to the amps and left the stage. It was five minutes of song, about 10 minutes of them making noise, and then another 30 minutes of noise generated from their abandoned instruments. Sucked.
The second time I saw Neil Young was with my wife when he toured for his Glendale concept album. It was fantastic. After doing the whole album, complete with set design and actors performing on stage to the story, Young's "encore" was 30 minutes of his most popular tunes.

And I was working sound for a friends band, who managed to get an opening gig for a Roomful of Blues show (roughly 1997). So to work sound in a nice opera house, meet some cool sound techs (who knew more and could do more with a pinky finger than I ever knew), and hear Roomful from the board (best place to hear live music) was pretty neat.

One of the most interesting concerts I ever attended had a rather sparse crowd. I was booking music into an inn. It was presented by my magazine, the artist got the door and the inn got food and beverage sales. There's this fantastic singer-songwriter from the Boston area that I wanted to introduce to this market I was in. Eric Colville is his name. Well, long story short. Eric played for me and my wife. No one showed up that night. I was overconfident that the pedigree of past shows would offer trust to those audiences to try this show out. I should have booked Eric as an opener for someone else, but ultimately it was awesome. Eric is a genuinely nice guy, a great songwriter, and his first CD is a personal favorite. So my wife and I have this great memory of having a private concert.