Buck McDaniel + Jacob Kirkwood (10/25/19)

Getting a chance to see other house concert venues in the city is always a treat. This time I was able to catch the performance of Buck McDaniel + Jacob Kirkwood over at the Emerald City World Fair in Old Brooklyn.  This one was quite different with a blend of performances throughout the house.  Quite interesting.  The focus of the night was a performance by Buck McDaniel + Jacob Kirkwood in the small basement stage.  A great performance, great sound, and a colorful audience (additional photos below).

Some additional photos from the night:

Wolf Eyes (9/23/19)

I’ll admit, Wolf Eyes is not a band that would be on the top of my list to catch live.  However, their credibility as an experimental band out of Detroit is undeniable.  Apple Music has an impressive list of releases by them, though not quite as towering as you can see on their Wikipedia entry!  It was definitely intricate - and interesting.  Those who are cooler than I can probably speak more to the impact of their music, but I’ll leave you with this video in the meantime.

The real reason I was at this show was to catch a local composer and producer combo, Buck McDaniel and Jacob Kirkwood.  They performed a compelling set, yet another one that I’m unlikely able to describe properly for their genre.  But trust me, it was beautiful and you should try to catch them again sometime.  More details:   

McDaniel & Kirkwood, with Andrea Belding Elson, violin, John Karkosiak, electric guitar, Buck McDaniel, piano & electronics & Jacob Kirkwood, percussion & electronics.  Kirkwood’s Nitch (rev. 2019), McDaniel’s plainsong (rev. 2019) & McDaniel’s & Kirkwood’s Difference & Repetition (2018).

Istvan Medgyesi (3/14/18)

When I saw Istvan Medgyesi was excited for this show at Mahall’s apartment venue, I knew this would be an interesting show.

Watching Istvan perform, I’m intrigued by the blending of the moog with an acoustic guitar.  Just watching him work that synth alone is interesting - something I’d be curious to see exactly what he’s doing there.  But on the other hand, it’s probably better left a mystery.

(Unfortunately I wasn’t able to stay to catch Konstantinos Revelas)

Istvan Medgyesi (10/12/17)

So I’m embarrassed to say that I never put together than Istvan Medgyesi was someone I would recognize from working at the Beachland!  I knew they had some cool people working there, but this just confirms it again.  His set was atmospheric and weird, and a little outside my comfort zone.  I loved it. 

I would even say the same for Aerial Ruin, who I also enjoyed.

Oh, and credit to the guy who was running all the visuals!  Bravo.

Darsombra, Blind Spring, and Dead Peasant Insurance (8/30/17)

A random stop in Slavic Village to check out a show at the Magalen!  It’s such a cool space, and one that I love to support.

Holly Herndon (7/17/16)

(Catching up!) Since we didn’t have our usual Robyn night out on Sunday night after the Pitchfork Music Festival, we tried out this official Pitchfork after party.  Holly Herndon never ended up performing at the Festival because of technical glitches, so we weren’t sure what we were getting into.  The show on this night was quite… interesting, and a little esoteric for my taste.  Visually - excellent.

Bandcamp's Ethan Diamond on Music Collecting

This explains why I see streaming services like Spotify or Beats as only accompaniments to my actual collection. 

Xavier Rudd (6/26/14)

Road Trip!!  This time to Pittsburgh to catch Xavier Rudd with my best friend… This was also my first time seeing a show in the Altar Bar - great concept, but an awkward layout.  Opening was Ash Grunwald who was quite the blues/rock powerhouse.

In prepping for this show, I dusted a lot of my Xavier Rudd MP3’s off and enjoyed the trip down memory lane.  The same experience was had this night, though I’d love to see some new stuff from him soon!  Until then, check out his cover of Cyndi Lauper’s Time After Time below.

Mikaela Davis (1/18/14)

Finally - my first show of 2014.  I scoured to find this show by Mikaela Davis, who I found mostly because any young woman touring with a full-size harp would catch my attention.  I liked what I heard, but the real draw for me was our own local Leah Lou & the Two Left Shoes - who blew me away the last time I saw them opening up for Laura Stevenson in May.  But first… Leah Marra opened the show.  A strong voice and some serious talent.  All she needs is a little more comfort and conversation on stage… 

For Leah Lou & the Two Left Shows, I was so excited for that performance, and was so busy capturing some video, I totally forgot to take pics.  Unfortunately the video didn’t come out all too well, which is a shame because they pulled off a killer Michael Jackson cover.  :-/

Mikaela finished the night… For me, following Leah was a hard act to follow.  She & her band were good.  The harp was nice.  More than anything, it was just great to be back at a show.

New Year = New Icon Set

All good websites deserve a good icon set… you know, that bevy of images representing your identity on a bunch of social media sites, etc.  TZA is a great way for me to experiment with these new tools and services.  Follow along…

(actual links to each of these are located just down to the right)

Michael Bublé (9/18/13)

Just another concert with Mom… This was quite the spectacle to watch, which I wasn't really expecting with Michael Buble - though for the price I paid for these tickets, I should have.  He has a magnetic personality and a great voice… but he was bordering on a really expensive cover band.  :-/

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…

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. 

DFA Documentary / 12 Year Anniversary

How fun!  Some bands on DFA that I really enjoy (shown here):  YACHT, Holy Ghost, and of course LCD Soundsystem.  Funny, no mention of the lawsuit however. 

Tomorrow: Dan Deacon @ Beachland Ballroom

Beachland will be HAPPENING tomorrow night!  First off, in the Ballroom is Dan Deacon, who if you haven't heard all the buzz yet, he's turning heads with his new release America.  Check out his superb explanation of it right here.

"In the past nine years Dan Deacon has released nine LPs, scored music for films and the stage, curated film festivals, been the figurehead of a Baltimore artist collective, and developed a reputation as one of the most energetic D.I.Y. live performers currently touring. When you hear Dan Deacon, you know it's Dan Deacon. It's hard to imagine where the unique musician could go from here. Last year, Deacon turned 30 and, with his new album America, moved toward a perspective of maturity and lofty concepts. The product of his artistic growth is not one that is radically different from his previous works, but rather is a honing of his quintessential sound with care. On America, Deacon creates his most mature work to date: an ode to his home country that is full of sonic beauty, destructive chaos and ecstatic fun. "

(Continued... Dan Deacon America - 8.28.2012)

 

Josh Groban (6/4/11)

So I hope you're a little surprised by this post.  Not my kind of show - but - it is my Mom's kind of show, and what better way to spend quality time with your Mom than taking her to see one of her most favorite acts - FOURTH ROW.

So, it's not my style of music, but I have to give it to Josh Groban for being amazingly charming and extremely down to earth.  And there is some genuine talent there.  My Mom would give this show a 10.  :-)

No good camera shots, but here's an iPhone pic:

There's even a video if you're still interested...

Rubblebucket (1/12/11)

Honestly, I was a little desperate.  It had been early two weeks since a show and I was getting an itch.  I had heard a little about Rubblebucket on the internets, but didn't really have an album that I could connect with.  I had actually been listening to their Triangular Daises EP on MOG, and loving "Come out of a Lady" (video too).  Whatever, I was sold.

Opening was the Revolution Brass Band.  A many multi-instrumental outfit that just by sheer presence is fun to listen to...  The got a crowd moving.

Between sets, we headed down to the This Way Out shop.

Finally, Rubblebucket took the stage.  Not as voluminous in size, but definitely in spirit.  All the jangly, fun, upbeat "indie orchestra" sounds that I hoped for.  These guys had energy!  I will definitely be keeping an eye on their upcoming album - currently being worked on.

(Unfortunately, I discovered the Nikon D3100 does a terrible job at recording the audio portion of a video, at least at concerts)