Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Gauntlet Hair (7/27/13)

What are the chances that I see Gauntlet Hair again while family is visiting from out of town.  So yet again, focus was really on conversation & catching up than the music - but it was still a great night.  I do have to admit that Blisse opening the show really caught my attention.  Strong vocals, spirited performance.  Good stuff - definitely want to catch her again.

Blisse (7/27/13)

I'm hoping someday I catch these guys and really just focus on them… otherwise, they're great background music!

Guantlet Hair (7/27/13)

Burning River Festival 2013

Another year, another excellent Burning River Festival over at Wendy Park.  I caught some great music by Caitlin Mahoney.

Burning River Festival 2013

Pretty much the rest of the Festival time was just exploring the vendors & enjoying the food & spirits - and enjoying the views.

Burning River Festival 2013

Burning River Festival 2013

Burning River Festival 2013

Burning River Festival 2013

Burning River Festival 2013

Gotta Groove Fest 2013

A last minute find, I was thrilled to be going to back to my old stomping grounds in MidTown.  Not only check out Gotta Groove Records and the Indigo Imp Brewery (awesome events in their own right), but also to check out some cool bands playing in a factory shipping doc.  Check it out.

Gotta Groove Festival 2013

Gotta Groove Festival 2013

Gotta Groove Festival 2013

Gotta Groove Fest 2013

Friday, July 26, 2013

Burning River Festival This Weekend!

Who's ready for some Christmas Ale in July?

5179514975624

Lord Huron (7/14/13)

Thanks to being comprehensive with my blog, I "remembered" I had seen Lord Huron before (opening for the Rural Alberta Advantage in 2011).   I wasn't blow away then, but with a new album and a bunch of videos under their belt - I was interested to see what's changed.  But before we get to that, I was also excited to hear Escondido open, who have some killer tracks recorded that even have a little Neko Case vibe!  But live, they were OK.  I don't think the venue worked to their advantage - and the same goes for Lord Huron.  Being at the Grog Shop doesn't really suite alt-folk/country acts like these guys - especially as full as the venue was on this night (color me surprised!).  I bet this show would have been a lot better in the Beachland Tavern, and where they'd probably have to play for me to see them again.

Escondido (7/24/13)

Lord Huron (7/24/13)

Thursday, July 25, 2013

New Find: Kodaline

You have to love the Irish… and the fact that this New Find comes with a La Blogotheque Take Away Show!

and then some more traditional live footage from over at Baeble Music.

Pitchfork Music Festival 2013

Holy Sh*t!  Just realizing that this has been my 6th! Pitchfork Music Festival (I was thinking like 4th).  It honestly hasn't changed much over the years, but that's a great thing.  I love the size, I love the bands, I love the people… The only thing I'm sour about is they no longer have Cevapcici as a food vendor - seriously sour.  The other difference this year was that we biked the city - awesome idea.

As usual, this festival isn't about the headliners for me… Bjork, MIA, Belle & Sebastian, R. Kelly, meh… For me, this show was about the no-namers that I get to discover.  I like getting there early and doing all kinds of research & exploration to who will be performing.  The biggest and best discovery… BLOOD ORANGE!  I was also super excited to see Solange as well, but since Blood Orange produces her, that's not much of a surprise either.  Both were my best performances of the weekend.  You can read a very good (and very accurate) review from the New York Times below.  In the meantime, here are some pics, and a video from the Blood Orange performance (if only it could have captured the bass levels accurately).  

Pitchfork Music Festival 2013

Pitchfork Music Festival 2013

Pitchfork Music Festival 2013

Pitchfork Music Festival 2013

I already can't wait for next year.

Dancing Under the Sky - NYTimes.com
Taylor Glascock for The New York Times

Blood Orange was among the performers taking the stage on Sunday at the Pitchfork Music Festival at Union Park in Chicago. More Photos » By JON CARAMANICA Published: July 22, 2013 FACEBOOK TWITTER GOOGLE+ SAVE E-MAIL SHARE PRINT REPRINTS CHICAGO — Late Saturday afternoon, just as the stubborn, gummy heat was beginning to lift off Union Park here, the Canadian D.J.-producer Ryan Hemsworth took to the small stage in the southwest corner of the park and finally kicked this year’s edition of the Pitchfork Music Festival into gear. At one point, he played a remix of a new song by Kanye West, one of this city’s hometown heroes, and for the first time since early Friday afternoon, when the festival began under conditions of extreme heat, bodies got to moving. They didn’t stop for the rest of the weekend — not just because the weather remained mostly tolerable, but also because the second half of this festival served as a reminder of how dance music has become the most exciting emergent narrative in pop. This was true, not only in the mainstream but also in the connoisseur’s corners documented by Pitchfork, the forward-thinking and taste-shaping Web site that has sponsored this festival every year since 2006."

(Continued... Dancing Under the Sky - NYTimes.com)

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tomorrow: Lord Huron @ Grog Shop

I'm going back to see Lord Huron again, this time as a headliner at the Grog Shop tomorrow night.  I was a little skeptical the first time, but they've since been winning me over with their new release.  You can check out that previous review and see their videos here.

NewImage

I'm also pretty excited to catch the opener, Escondido, after catching some of their new stuff.  Check out this video for Black Roses.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

New Basia Bulat!

Well this was some exciting news today.  Basia Bulat announced a new album Tall Tall Shadow out on Secret City Records on Oct. 1st. 

Her 2010 performance in the Beachland is still one of my favorites, and loved her again in 2012 (unfortunately I missed her last opening performance).

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Phosphorescent (7/17/13)

What a great way to start out the Summer in the City concert series by the Rock Hall.  Sure it was like you were standing on a hot plate, but at least we were in the shadow of the "magical rock pyramid" as it was called.  Strand of Oaks opened and he was fabulous.  If you would have described a guy standing alone on stage with an electric guitar and singing sad songs - I'd probably pass. So glad I didn't.  I'd missed him opening for Joe Pug back in 2011 - but was very glad to catch him here.

Strand of Oaks (7/17/13)(there really were people there, they were all just being shy - and I like this photo)

I was joking with a friend that Phosphorescent kinda reminded me of a mix between Deer Tick & Bruce Hornsby (that really is a compliment).  I guess they didn't, but the full-sized band (6 members!), with piano, was even full of sound and better than I was expecting.  Everyone loves Song for Zula, but the whole set was equally as entertaining.  Good job guys.  1 down, 3 more Rock Hall Wednesdays to go!

Phosphorescent (7/17/13)

Phosphorescent (7/17/13)

(sorry for the blip - phone rang mid-record)

Toro Y Moi (7/16/13)

After attending a little work gathering, I made it to the Grog Shop to what felt like the end of Toro Y Moi's set.  I really wasn't, but the buzz of the sold-out crowd made me feel like it.  Read a clip of the Scene review below…  The packed room didn't bode well for media capture, but it does represent the experience quite well.  All in all, a night of chilled out funk.

Toro Y Moi (7/16/13)

Toro Y Moi (7/16/13)

 

Concert Review: Toro Y Moi at Grog Shop | Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog

"While Toro may shy away from the chillwave label, there’s no denying that the artist puts on one of the most chill dance parties in the business. It helped, in some respects, that the Grog floor was already chilly to begin with, as the AC kept the venue cool as the band took the stage to massive applause. But the body temperatures of most attendees wouldn’t stay low for long — the relentless beat of opener ‘Rose Quartz,’ a cut from Toro’s latest album, Anything in Return, demanded movement from those on the floor in one form or another. The intricate bass parts found in most Toro tracks, like ‘New Beat’ and especially on ‘Elise,’ were devastating, note-for-note recreations of the band’s recordings and helped keep each song fresh with their complexity. The 16-song set kept the rowdy crowd on its feet for an hour and begging for another Cleveland stop from the singer and his band soon."

(Continued... Concert Review: Toro Y Moi at Grog Shop | Scene and Heard: Scene's News Blog)

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Video "Tuesday"

 Some great videos this week, with The xx, new Vampire Weekend (love the saxophone bong!), an amazing new Bloc Party video, and one incredible bonus.

Here's a fan made video for the Chromatic's Camera.  The fashion is just mesmerizing

Monday, July 15, 2013

Tomorrow: Toro Y Moi @ Grog Shop

Another band on their way to Pitchfork this weekend is Toro Y Moi, performing at the Grog Shop tomorrow night.   Tickets are $15, with Toxie and local electro-wonders, Freeze-Tag, opening.

Toro

Chairlift (7/14/13)

This past Sunday night was a challenge, a dueling concert night between Oberhofer at the Beachland Tavern or Chairlift at the Grog Shop.  I was tempted with Oberhofer because they're really just one of my favorite rock bands out there right now.  However, I did just recently see them open up for Matt & Kim.  Chairlift was also going to be at Pitchfork (which is where I will see them this weekend) - but I still opted for them.  However, being preoccupied, I honestly didn't really pay much attention, and left kinda early.  But for posterity sake, I'll still post a pic and admit I was at least there… I'll see them again on Sunday.

Chairlift (7/14/13)

Xavier Rudd (7/10/13)

I was on a roll this week, with fun. and Tegan & Sara the night before, and then Xavier Rudd the next night!  I also had a good friend in from out of town for this show, who I saw my first Xavier Rudd show with.  After staring off with some grilling at friends place on the lake, we made it just in time for Xavier to take the stage.  As hoped, he whipped the patchouli fueled crowd into a frenzy.  OK, maybe that's just how I sold it to my friends… but Xavier really does have a great connection to his roots, his country, the music, and the audience.  I'd put him up there with Bob Marley.  I enjoyed it so much that I never really stopped dancing to take a video… (though now I kinda wish I would have).  :-) 

Xavier Rudd (7/10/13)

Xavier Rudd (7/10/13)

fun. and Tegan & Sara (7/9/13)

So I usually stick to the shows that draw less than hundreds of people, and cost generally less than $20.  This show is one of those few times that I truly enjoy a bigger spectacle.  This sold-out show had us up in the far corner of the bleachers, but that didn't put a damper on anything.  Starting off were Tegan & Sara, my favorite Canadian twins!  It's been quite some time seeing these ladies, but they filled this much bigger stage nicely, playing almost exclusively from their new album… a little surprising, but a great showing.

Tegan & Sara (7/9/13)

Tegan & Sara (7/9/13)

fun. was just that.  Larger than life in sound & energy that had to be pouring out of the venue and into Downtown.  Of course I caught the hits… 

fun. (7/9/13)

fun. (7/9/13)

Yeasayer (7/3/13)

We're up to July!  Yeasayer was one of those bands, like CSS, that I'd listened to a while ago and had to reacquaint myself with their new stuff.  I just figured it'd be a good show, so I made sure to gather some people up for this one.  When they took the stage, we were met with a wall of sound.  That, coupled with some great lighting, made some chemically induced people in the crowd quite happy.  I can't say it was one of the best shows I've seen… like their albums, I find them quite enjoyable and listenable, but it kinda ends there.  Maybe some more chemicals would help… but either way - I would totally see them again.  Their so so show is miles better than many that come through town - and you can dance to it.

Yeasayer (7/3/13)

Yeasayer (7/3/13)

Yeasayer (7/3/13)

Cleveland Pride 2013

Not a venue for much in the way of live music at this event.  Well, I guess there is, but it's so poorly promoted and managed (no set times? really??) that's even hard to coordinate seeing them.  And of course you can have a beer while you do it either.  I did have to use some powers of deduction to figure out about the time I needed to leave the beer tent to catch Bitch, or BEACH as she's using these days, with Ferron.  Of course, you should know Ferron as a women's music icon.  I first heard of her through my record store days, finding myself strangely drawn to that quite small, but intriguing section of the rack.  I then heard of Bitch's working with her to produce an album (or 2?) and a movie.  Sounds cool enough…  Wish I could say the experience was cool - but it kinda wasn't.  

Ferron & BEACH (6/28/13)

OK, it wasn't all that bad.  I guess I'm still sour that I then missed the 4 song Deborah Cox set because I didn't deduce the time correctly to leave the beer tent in time.  Here are some more pics from the day…

Ferron & BEACH (6/28/13)

Ferron & BEACH (6/28/13)

Ferron & BEACH (6/28/13)

CSS (6/29/13)

I was at a weekend-long wedding celebration for some friends, but had to skip out for a bit to catch these Brazilian beauties.  OK, so not really my thing - but they do put on a good show.  It's been years since I'd really listened to CSS but I'd been doing a crash course with Planta in prep for this show and fell back in favor with them.  If I throw a party, I want these girls playing.  OK, maybe opening.

CSS (6/28/13)

CSS (6/28/13)

John Fullbright (6/25/13)

I love music recommendations… particularly they end me up at shows like this one.  John Fullbright is one of the most effortless musicians I've ever seen - the songs & music just flowed from him.  I also have no idea why he only has one recorded album, but I'd highly recommend it.  I'd recommend seeing him live even more.  Check it out below.

John Fullbright (6/25/13)

John Fullbright (6/25/13)

Opening was The Tumbleweeds (or Same Doores & Riley Downing & the Tumbleweeds).  These boys were the real-bluegrass deal.  No "alt" here.

John Fullbright (6/25/13)

Lakeside Jam Session

Part of what I've wanted to bring to this blog is talking about connections to music that aren't always about concerts or new releases…  Not been so great at that, but this is definitely one worth sharing.  After an excellent weekend of music, between Porchfest & Summer Solstice, we were just spending a relaxing Sunday evening by the lake.  After a dip, a neighbor invited us down to a friends "man cave" for a night of some jamming… just some guys playing around with instruments.  We took him up on it, walked down with some beers and so glad we did…

Lakeside Jam Session (6/23/13)

Lakeside Jam Session (6/23/13)

Lakeside Jam Session (6/23/13)

Lakeside Jam Session (6/23/13)

We politely declined their invitation to grab an instrument off the wall…  They wouldn't want to see (or hear) me with a tuba-like-thing… besides, they sounded way too good for those kind of shenanigans. 

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Video Tuesday

 Still catching up on a backlog of videos… Some good stuff here!

Glad to see Dan Black back again… This week's bonus:

Monday, July 8, 2013

Summer Solstice 2013

Ah, it was back again.  One of the best (above board) parties in Cleveland - this year bringing in the Crystal Ark.  They also had DJ Afrika Bambaattaa in the atrium (a great space addition to the party), though the real party was outside with the Crystal Ark at the end of the night.  I was dancing' so much I only took one phone pic, but there are others…

Summer Solstice 2013

Summer Solstice 2013

Summer Solstice 2013