I've been going to Matt Nathanson concerts since my sophomore year in college. In those seven years and numerous concerts, I've never been disappointed by Matt Nathanson. Each and every time it's been a blast. However, going into last night's show, I wasn't convinced it would be the same. To me Still Waiting For Spring and Beneath These Fireworks are quintessential Matt Nathanson albums. They're all time favorites in my book, and like most artists that make a huge personal impact, their following albums don't exactly measure up. It makes sense really. Artists evolve and change just like their fans, and the chances that both are on the same wave length as they were previously, is unlikely. The last couple of Matt Nathanson albums, I thought were pretty good, but I didn't like them as much as Still Waiting For Spring and Beneath The Fireworks. To be honest, I didn't know what to expect.
Well, as it turns out, Matt Nathanson still puts on a damn fine show. The new songs off Modern Love, that I wasn't too fond of, turned out to be gems live. The old songs were just as good as they were seven years ago. The night started with "Mercy", a new one. It was then followed by "Pretty the World" a perfect song to get the night going. For the better part of the evening the band alternated between old and new. One aspect of Matt Nathanson concerts has never changed. The banter was still hilarious. A particular favorite was his introduction to "Queen of (K)nots". Nathanson talked about dating someone, and then realizing they were evil. He explained, "It's like waking up one Sunday and saying, 'Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I was sitting on computer chord, but it was just your devil tail.... you evil shitty human being.'" Hilarious right? But besides being hilarious, his songs and their explanations are about basic human emotions. Who hasn't felt that way about someone? Everyone at the show last night seemed to have dated someone they perceived as evil, and that's why Nathanson's music works.
Other highlights included "Kiss Quick" a song I had previously underestimated, an acoustic "Bare" and "All We Are". "All We Are" was chosen by fans on facebook, as a song they'd like to hear this week. Matt Nathanson has always been on the forefront of using social media to reach out to fans, and this is just another example. The set also included covers of "La Bamba", "Here I Go Again", and Prince's "Little Red Corvette."
It turns out my fear of disappointment was unfounded. The new songs from Modern Love do well when given a live setting to stretch and breathe. While the style of Nathanson's music has changed, his live shows are still stellar! Matt Nathanson's tour just started, so make sure to check them out.
Showing posts with label 9:30 Club. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9:30 Club. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Concert Review: The Head and the Heart @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC- 9.23.2011
What a great concert last night at the 9:30 Club. The Head and the Heart was everything we expected and more. This band is on it's way to big, big things.
A bit of a cold and a week full of teaching left my voice in pretty rough shape last night. That coupled with the fact that The Head and the Heart wouldn't be taking the stage till 11, left me hoping I could just make it through the evening. This getting older thing is no fun at all. Fortunately, none of those things got in the way of having a good time.
After a couple beers at our trusty nearby Irish bar, my concert buddy, Teresa, and I arrived at 9:30 Club shortly after 10. We missed the first supporting act, Devil Whale, but walked in as Thao with the Get Down Stay Down were just starting. Though much of the crowd talked their way through the set, as is typical, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down grabbed quite a few fans with their set. Nearly everyone around us made some kind of positive comment. The praise was well deserved as set was very energetic. Favorites included "Bag Of Hammers" and a cover of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me".
As 11PM rolled around, so did The Head and the Heart. Earlier in the evening Teresa and I talked about how surprised we were that the show was sold out given the relatively short history of the band. It's a clear indication that this band is onto something. The audience sang along to nearly every song, and was very enthusiastic. Just as their self-titled debut album opens, last night's set opened with "Cats and Dogs" and "Coeur d' Alene". From their the band ripped through each song on the album as well as a trio of new songs, each just as promising as their existing material. The band made sure to comment on how amazing the venue and crowd was. They had been to 9:30 Club a few months back as a supporting act for Dr. Dog. The band seemed blown away by the response from the crowd last night.
While the entire set was top notch quality, my favorite performances were "Rivers and Roads" which ended the main set, and the final song of the evening, "Down In The Valley." "Rivers and Roads" is a song that extends to both ends of the spectrum. Mid song the instruments stop for vocalist and violinist Charity Rose Thielen's angelic voice. The pause in only temporary as it quickly picks up to a raucous fervor, which slowly gets stripped back to a chorus of voices singing "Rivers and roads/Rivers and roads/ Rivers till I reach you." Really the perfect song to get the crowd riled up for an encore.
The encore began with a solo song and ended with crowd favorite "Down In The Valley". As we sang along I couldn't help but notice how the entire room was fully behind this newish band from Seattle. They have quite the following, and it's clear that they'll be around for awhile. Coming from Seattle in relative obscurity at this time last year to selling out the 9:30 Club on the other side of the country is no small feat. Go check them out. You won't regret it!
Back to 9:30 Club next week for Matt Nathanson!
A bit of a cold and a week full of teaching left my voice in pretty rough shape last night. That coupled with the fact that The Head and the Heart wouldn't be taking the stage till 11, left me hoping I could just make it through the evening. This getting older thing is no fun at all. Fortunately, none of those things got in the way of having a good time.
After a couple beers at our trusty nearby Irish bar, my concert buddy, Teresa, and I arrived at 9:30 Club shortly after 10. We missed the first supporting act, Devil Whale, but walked in as Thao with the Get Down Stay Down were just starting. Though much of the crowd talked their way through the set, as is typical, Thao and the Get Down Stay Down grabbed quite a few fans with their set. Nearly everyone around us made some kind of positive comment. The praise was well deserved as set was very energetic. Favorites included "Bag Of Hammers" and a cover of "You've Really Got a Hold on Me".
As 11PM rolled around, so did The Head and the Heart. Earlier in the evening Teresa and I talked about how surprised we were that the show was sold out given the relatively short history of the band. It's a clear indication that this band is onto something. The audience sang along to nearly every song, and was very enthusiastic. Just as their self-titled debut album opens, last night's set opened with "Cats and Dogs" and "Coeur d' Alene". From their the band ripped through each song on the album as well as a trio of new songs, each just as promising as their existing material. The band made sure to comment on how amazing the venue and crowd was. They had been to 9:30 Club a few months back as a supporting act for Dr. Dog. The band seemed blown away by the response from the crowd last night.
While the entire set was top notch quality, my favorite performances were "Rivers and Roads" which ended the main set, and the final song of the evening, "Down In The Valley." "Rivers and Roads" is a song that extends to both ends of the spectrum. Mid song the instruments stop for vocalist and violinist Charity Rose Thielen's angelic voice. The pause in only temporary as it quickly picks up to a raucous fervor, which slowly gets stripped back to a chorus of voices singing "Rivers and roads/Rivers and roads/ Rivers till I reach you." Really the perfect song to get the crowd riled up for an encore.
The encore began with a solo song and ended with crowd favorite "Down In The Valley". As we sang along I couldn't help but notice how the entire room was fully behind this newish band from Seattle. They have quite the following, and it's clear that they'll be around for awhile. Coming from Seattle in relative obscurity at this time last year to selling out the 9:30 Club on the other side of the country is no small feat. Go check them out. You won't regret it!
Back to 9:30 Club next week for Matt Nathanson!
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Concert Review: Freelance Whales @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC- 5.6.11
I only started listening to Freelance Whales in December, but ever since I've been looking forward to an opportunity to see them live. Last night I got my chance!
Their debut release, Weathervanes, does not have a weak point on it. It's one of those albums that needs to be listened to from start to finish, as if each song is a chapter to a story. The outstanding nature of Freelance Whales' debut release led to high expectations. I was a little nervous though. One of my favorite things about Freelance Whales is that they play very unique instruments, and many of them are electronic. I wasn't sure it would all come together live, like it does on the studio album. It turns out, my fears would unfounded. In fact, they sounded better than the album!
The band came out to "Vessels" an instrumental track from the album, then opened with "Generator (First Floor)". This song was meant to open a show-perfect! Next, the band played "Enzymes" which was released as a single this past November. If it's an indication of what's the come on the next album, then I'm excited! Throughout the show, every song off Weathervanes was played. Seeing them perform live, it's easy to see how talented every member truly is. They consistently switch instruments, and take turns grabbing the lead. These aren't your everyday instruments either. Sure there's a guitar, drums, and keyboard. There's also a banjo, glockenspiel, mandolin, and synthesizer to name a few. Highlights included "Starring", "Ghosting", and "Hannah". I was thoroughly impressed, and will hopefully be seeing them again soon!
Their debut release, Weathervanes, does not have a weak point on it. It's one of those albums that needs to be listened to from start to finish, as if each song is a chapter to a story. The outstanding nature of Freelance Whales' debut release led to high expectations. I was a little nervous though. One of my favorite things about Freelance Whales is that they play very unique instruments, and many of them are electronic. I wasn't sure it would all come together live, like it does on the studio album. It turns out, my fears would unfounded. In fact, they sounded better than the album!
The band came out to "Vessels" an instrumental track from the album, then opened with "Generator (First Floor)". This song was meant to open a show-perfect! Next, the band played "Enzymes" which was released as a single this past November. If it's an indication of what's the come on the next album, then I'm excited! Throughout the show, every song off Weathervanes was played. Seeing them perform live, it's easy to see how talented every member truly is. They consistently switch instruments, and take turns grabbing the lead. These aren't your everyday instruments either. Sure there's a guitar, drums, and keyboard. There's also a banjo, glockenspiel, mandolin, and synthesizer to name a few. Highlights included "Starring", "Ghosting", and "Hannah". I was thoroughly impressed, and will hopefully be seeing them again soon!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Concert Review: Josh Ritter @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC- 2.14.2011
Last night, while jumping up and down and chanting "I thought I heard somebody calling/In the dark I thought I heard somebody call!" as Josh closed out his set sometime after 11PM on a Monday night, I had just one thought in my mind: How on Earth could anyone in this room not be having the time of their life right now?! And after three previous Josh Ritter concerts, I feel that I am now qualified to proclaim that it is impossible to have a bad time at a Josh Ritter show...Impossible!
Let's start with the whole premise of the evening. I first heard about this particular show some time in November or December via email from Josh Ritter's website. The email dubbed the show and the three preceeding shows as a "Valentine's Day Brawl." Instantly, I had my Valentine's plans, as I knew Josh and the band would have something special up their sleeves. They didn't disappoint.
The night started with Scott Hutchinson (from Frightened Rabbit). Having just been introduced to Frightened Rabbit a couple months ago, I was very much looking forward to his performance. With only his acoustic guitar Scott Hutchinson had the early arriving crowd's attention with his stripped down arrangements, his straight forward and frank lyrics, and his Scottish sense of humor. For me, the highlight of his overall outstanding performance, was him singing "Backwards Walk." Hutchinson's steady repetitive strumming coupled with his heart wrenching lyrics about letting go of a relationship instensified throughout the song! As with any crowd during and opening act, the audience was a bit chatty. However, during this particular song you could sense their attention progressively being drawn to the stage, until virtually all ears were tuned in as he repeated the song's knockout line, "You're the shit and I'm need deep in it." Hopefully he'll be returning soon with his entire band. I'll be in line for a ticket.
Now on to Josh. As advertised, Valentine's Day was the muse of the evening. The microphones and stands were wrapped in roses. On a table to the left of the stage candles were burning. Josh Ritter came out by himself, almost to the surprise of not only the audience but also the light and sound technicians. As he started the first song of the night, "Come and Find Me," the lights still hadn't been brought down or his mic turned on. But after a quick restart, and a whispered, "If I could trace the line that ran/Between your smile and your slight of hand/I would have guessed that you put something up my sleeve" the evening had officially started. After his intimite opening, the rest of the band joined Josh Ritter on stage for "Good Man", and "Lillian, Egypt", both of which picked up the tempo of the show.
Now, like I said, this night was full of surprises. The first surprise came 5 to 6 songs in when Josh introduced the "Cupid" for the night. Josh Ritter and the Band asked their fans to submit dedications to be read aloud at the "Valentine's Day Brawl" shows. Out came Cupid with a hat full of dedications! This was a very creative and thoughtful idea to get the audience ever more involved. The dedications included the hilarious (a love letter to Bassist Zack Hickman's handlebar mustache takes first prize), heartfelt (one particular message from a soldier overseas comes to mind) and a marriage proposal (she said yes)! You won't find something like this at many shows these days! Reason #1 you'll have a great time at a Josh Ritter show.
Other highlights of the night include solo performances of "The Temptation of Adam" and "Girl in the War" as well the performance of "Harrisburg." For those not familar with "Harrisburgh", the band usually slows down about midway through and interludes into a cover. Past renditions include "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Wicked Game". This time Josh sympathized with us singles in the crowd by discussing the irony in the advances of Western Civilization and our inability to understand human courtship. Probably the funniest quote of the whole night came when he said, "It's a world in which man has touched the moon... but there are soooo many other things men would like to touch." Then he sequed into "Once In A Lifetime" by the Talking Heads before returning to racous end to "Harrisburg."
Surprise #2 came when Josh Ritter's introduction to the song "Kathleen" started with the statement, "Now it's time for things to get awkward". What followed was a slow dance accompanied by a stirring sax solo and enhanced with dim lights and a disco ball. As you can imagine, it was a pretty cramped dance floor, as the show was sold out. However, Teresa and I managed. We even utilized Teresa's beer! "Kathleen" is about Josh's prom in his home town in Idaho. It's a fitting song for a slow dance. Apparently, boys outnumbed girls by so much, that the boys would stand in line to dance with the girls.
Surprise #3 followed shortly after. Prior to the show, folks at 9:30 club handed out glow sticks to everyone in attendance. As the band performed "Lantern" the lights were dimmed, and everyone held their glow sticks high as Josh sang, "So if you've got the light/Hold it high for me." I can only imagine what it looked like from the stage or the balcony. It must have been an amazing scene.
The main set closed with "Change of Time" which highlights Josh Ritter's lyrical genious. I can't believe I've gotten this far in the post without mentioning that Josh Ritter may be the best lyricist on the music scene. Nearly every song is pure poetry. This was a great closing to an amazingly diverse main set. The encore began with a solo version of Josh Ritter's new song "Galahad" and ended with the band's energetic version of "To the Dogs or Whoever."
The two hours and change of music was a blur. It was a great way to spend Valentine's night. If you get a chance to see Josh Ritter live, I'd highly recommend it. I can't phathom a situation in which your mood doesn't improved during the show. If you could bottle Josh Ritter's enthusiasm and sell it as a pill, I'd guess the cases of mood related disorders would sharply decrease.
My concert fix has been met for now, but I'm already looking forward to the next show.
Thanks for reading!
Let's start with the whole premise of the evening. I first heard about this particular show some time in November or December via email from Josh Ritter's website. The email dubbed the show and the three preceeding shows as a "Valentine's Day Brawl." Instantly, I had my Valentine's plans, as I knew Josh and the band would have something special up their sleeves. They didn't disappoint.
The night started with Scott Hutchinson (from Frightened Rabbit). Having just been introduced to Frightened Rabbit a couple months ago, I was very much looking forward to his performance. With only his acoustic guitar Scott Hutchinson had the early arriving crowd's attention with his stripped down arrangements, his straight forward and frank lyrics, and his Scottish sense of humor. For me, the highlight of his overall outstanding performance, was him singing "Backwards Walk." Hutchinson's steady repetitive strumming coupled with his heart wrenching lyrics about letting go of a relationship instensified throughout the song! As with any crowd during and opening act, the audience was a bit chatty. However, during this particular song you could sense their attention progressively being drawn to the stage, until virtually all ears were tuned in as he repeated the song's knockout line, "You're the shit and I'm need deep in it." Hopefully he'll be returning soon with his entire band. I'll be in line for a ticket.
Now on to Josh. As advertised, Valentine's Day was the muse of the evening. The microphones and stands were wrapped in roses. On a table to the left of the stage candles were burning. Josh Ritter came out by himself, almost to the surprise of not only the audience but also the light and sound technicians. As he started the first song of the night, "Come and Find Me," the lights still hadn't been brought down or his mic turned on. But after a quick restart, and a whispered, "If I could trace the line that ran/Between your smile and your slight of hand/I would have guessed that you put something up my sleeve" the evening had officially started. After his intimite opening, the rest of the band joined Josh Ritter on stage for "Good Man", and "Lillian, Egypt", both of which picked up the tempo of the show.
Now, like I said, this night was full of surprises. The first surprise came 5 to 6 songs in when Josh introduced the "Cupid" for the night. Josh Ritter and the Band asked their fans to submit dedications to be read aloud at the "Valentine's Day Brawl" shows. Out came Cupid with a hat full of dedications! This was a very creative and thoughtful idea to get the audience ever more involved. The dedications included the hilarious (a love letter to Bassist Zack Hickman's handlebar mustache takes first prize), heartfelt (one particular message from a soldier overseas comes to mind) and a marriage proposal (she said yes)! You won't find something like this at many shows these days! Reason #1 you'll have a great time at a Josh Ritter show.
Other highlights of the night include solo performances of "The Temptation of Adam" and "Girl in the War" as well the performance of "Harrisburg." For those not familar with "Harrisburgh", the band usually slows down about midway through and interludes into a cover. Past renditions include "Papa Was A Rolling Stone" and "Wicked Game". This time Josh sympathized with us singles in the crowd by discussing the irony in the advances of Western Civilization and our inability to understand human courtship. Probably the funniest quote of the whole night came when he said, "It's a world in which man has touched the moon... but there are soooo many other things men would like to touch." Then he sequed into "Once In A Lifetime" by the Talking Heads before returning to racous end to "Harrisburg."
Surprise #2 came when Josh Ritter's introduction to the song "Kathleen" started with the statement, "Now it's time for things to get awkward". What followed was a slow dance accompanied by a stirring sax solo and enhanced with dim lights and a disco ball. As you can imagine, it was a pretty cramped dance floor, as the show was sold out. However, Teresa and I managed. We even utilized Teresa's beer! "Kathleen" is about Josh's prom in his home town in Idaho. It's a fitting song for a slow dance. Apparently, boys outnumbed girls by so much, that the boys would stand in line to dance with the girls.
Surprise #3 followed shortly after. Prior to the show, folks at 9:30 club handed out glow sticks to everyone in attendance. As the band performed "Lantern" the lights were dimmed, and everyone held their glow sticks high as Josh sang, "So if you've got the light/Hold it high for me." I can only imagine what it looked like from the stage or the balcony. It must have been an amazing scene.
The main set closed with "Change of Time" which highlights Josh Ritter's lyrical genious. I can't believe I've gotten this far in the post without mentioning that Josh Ritter may be the best lyricist on the music scene. Nearly every song is pure poetry. This was a great closing to an amazingly diverse main set. The encore began with a solo version of Josh Ritter's new song "Galahad" and ended with the band's energetic version of "To the Dogs or Whoever."
The two hours and change of music was a blur. It was a great way to spend Valentine's night. If you get a chance to see Josh Ritter live, I'd highly recommend it. I can't phathom a situation in which your mood doesn't improved during the show. If you could bottle Josh Ritter's enthusiasm and sell it as a pill, I'd guess the cases of mood related disorders would sharply decrease.
My concert fix has been met for now, but I'm already looking forward to the next show.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine's Brawl!- Josh Ritter: My Eyes Get Washed Away In Chain Reactions
It's only been two weeks, but Josh Ritter is already reappearing on the blog, and for good reason! A concert! I can't think of a better way to celebrate Valentine's Day than with a good concert! I'm lucky enough to be attending Josh Ritter's show at the 9:30 Club tonight in DC. It will be my 4th time seeing Josh Ritter, and he always puts on a good show so I'm very excited.
To share my excitement, here's a video of probably the best apocalyptic love song ever written! Not only is it my favorite Josh Ritter song, but probably in my top 5 songs of all time. The lyrics are just amazing from beginning to end. I wish I could write like him. Here's "The Temptation of Adam"
Stay tuned for a concert review!
To share my excitement, here's a video of probably the best apocalyptic love song ever written! Not only is it my favorite Josh Ritter song, but probably in my top 5 songs of all time. The lyrics are just amazing from beginning to end. I wish I could write like him. Here's "The Temptation of Adam"
Stay tuned for a concert review!
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