I had a hard decision to make this evening. The Grog Shop was hosting the Heartless Bastards (LOVE her voice!), but the Happy Dog ended up winning my attendance with their dual headliner (in my mind) with Calvin Love and Jacco Gardner. Sure, I’ve seen Jacco before, but he was worth seeing again - and Calvin’s hazy pop/dance sound is intriguing - and has really grown on me. I was glad Calvin was up first, because the Happy Dog is notoriously late with their shows. Calvin was dapper and had a nice groove to him… Check him out:
By the time Jacco was taking the stage (1am??), the night was over for me. I stayed long enough to catch some shots - but would have loved for this to be earlier for me to catch more of his show.
New New Pornographers with Champions of Red Wine. Beirut has a new video for No No No that falls apart in no time. Mike Posner has been stripping down in several ways lately, and this continues with the inspiring “Be As You Are.”
I’m a little surprised I’m putting a Peaches song in the #tzachill category, but it’s pretty low key stuff. I’m not a little surprised that she’s going in my “Bonus” slot - because there’s plenty of bonus material in this video (NSFW!).
MIKA is wondering where have all the good (gay) guys gone, with his newest video for Good Guys. A spaced out video for Lilly by Toro y Moi. Jenny Lewis is recounting her past (Golden Girls!) in her new video for She’s Not Me.
Bonus is the stylish new long-player by Roisin Murphy for Evil Eyes.
House of Blues shows are always so much better with a Press Pass. I love shooting these shows…
Glass Animals had been at the Grog Shop, but sold out almost instantly. Thankfully they upgraded to House of Blues, and it still drew a full crowd in the new venue. Opening was Gillian Moss opened. Nothing great, but they really tried - and got better the longer they played. I’ll check out their new album when it’s out...
Glass Animals were all energy and were all over that stage. It was a great show and easily a DAKS 9. I just wish I had gotten more video… But I’ll let Scene take it from here…
"The band’s recorded tracks are filled with perfectly produced sounds and everything is mixed to perfection, making it seem like a difficult thing to pull off live. On studio recordings, Bayley’s high-pitched, sultry voice sounds too engineered to be true. But their first song (and one of their first hits), ‘Black Mambo,’ set things straight. Bayley made the liquidly, weird sounds on the recorded tracks with his guitar. His voice resonated throughout the club with the same subdued tone in all of his songs. The difference: it sounded a little raspier, making it even better."
"In 2014, Glass Animals burst onto the scene with an Oxford-bred sound of spirited indie rock, memorable hooks, and a pop sensibility. They were ready to take over the world. The band—made up of Dave Bayley, Drew MacFarlane, Edmund Irwin-Singer, and Joe Seaward—didn’t break overnight, however. Rather, they steadily gained a following by releasing songs like ‘Hazy,’ ‘Black Mambo,’ and ‘Cocoa Hooves,’ and selling out shows from Australia to the U.K.
The group’s not afraid to experiment, either. From their debut album, ZABA, and the Hazey EP that included a re-work from Atlanta rapper Rome Fortune, to their knack for writing lyrics as strange as ‘ride my little pooh bear,’ Glass Animals will take chances most bands won’t. They’re paving their own way, becoming known for wobbled bass lines, punch-drunk melodies, and quirky lyrical themes. Over the next few months, they will embark on a massive North American tour through the United States and Canada, following a wild performance at Coachella. Watch out for these guys, and take note of the Five Reasons You Should Be Paying Attention to Glass Animals."
One of the more notable prides this year with the whole Iggy Azalea kerfuffle. I couldn’t have been happier that Nick Jonas swooped in to save the day… his performance was one of the best that I’ve seen at this Pride and I’m even more of a fan now. Great weekend!
Ever since I Shazamed Rather Be off the radio, I’ve been loving Clean Bandit. This UK 6 piece band put on a great show, despite a mediocre crowd, with this being one of the critical nights of the NBA playoffs with the Cavs. I love the dance music mixed with strings, and the whole presentation of black vs. white. I just wish they had a bit more material and played a bit longer…
I was finally able to make it to one of the Sonic Sessions put on by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. A super cheap concert series ($5!) with some decent bands playing inside the venue. Not quite as fun as their Summer series - but still pretty cool. This time was Elle King, who I hadn’t spent much time with before this show - but she definitely is a powerhouse of a voice and a personality. I thought her non-stop banter on dating and men got old quickly, but she had a voice that could totally stand on her own.
Just a simple night out to see Hurray for the Riff Raff. I heard some good things about her on NRP and her album has been my alt/folk go to album as of late. She sounded excellent in the Ballroom and made for a great night out. Would totally see her again. DAKS = 8.
It was a tough choice to miss Marina & the Diamonds to see Weird Al Yankovic, but when you’re in a relationship… :-) It was also quite the treat that we had front row seats, VIP passes and had a meet & greet. Weird Al was fun, professional, and has talent - and of course he’s totally wacky. I’m not sure I would need to see another one of his concerts, but I enjoyed this one.
"Not even torrential rain and wicked lightning put a damper on 'Weird Al' Yankovic's delightful (and reliably hilarious) two-hour, career-spanning set last night at the Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica, which was packed with faithful fans of the beloved parodist. The 56-year-old musician and his long-time bandmates delivered plenty of songs from his most recent album, Mandatory Fun, from the Lorde-parodying 'Foil' to the Pixies-esque headbanging rager 'First World Problems' and the Pharrell Williams-emulating show-starter 'Tacky'"
