I went to House of Blues last night for The National. That band seriously kills me. It was hard taking photos when his voice just makes you well up with tears. Not like sad tears, more like cathartic happy this-music-is-too-fucking-good tears. Too bad my HoB experience was less than stellar. Man, seriously that venue is one step forward, two steps back. I was privy to some information that just pissed me off...but I'll write about all those things later tonight with all the pictures.
In the meantime, I wanted to follow up on a few of the newsy bits I posted last week.
First, now that Street Scene is back in the works, I had a couple people point out that in addition to Cat Power scheduled to play on Friday, September 19, The New Pornographers are also sheduled to play according to the Matador Records website.
Second, a follow up about Ray Suen joining The Killers. If you take a look at my contributors, you'll see Ray was added there. He was up at Sasquatch over the weekend working for The Flaming Lips and told me he'd try to write a recap of his experience at the festival since he was going to be costumed onstage during their performance, but he hasn't done so yet. (No pressure, Ray) We chatted on Firday and he was ecstatic that he's gonna be joining up with The Killers. They're doing a huge tour so he'll be travelling all over, playing Leeds, Reading, and all those huge shows. He'll be playing guitar and keys for the band which gives him a good change from mostly strings he played with Louis XIV. Maybe enough nudging and he can write about all that himself...
Last, I wanted to mention that next week there's an election in San Diego, and I wanted to throw my endorsement behind Eric Bidwell. The guy is one of us and deserves some serious credit for having the balls to call out Mr. Douche Sanders and that complete dick, Steve Francis. Our city is in some dire need for change and I think I'd rather have someone completely green and willing to learn on the job than these dicks who just sit pretty and make backdoor deals for all their fatcat friends. If you want more info, go to http://www.revolutionarymayor.com/
I'll be online tonight to post all those pics...
Showing posts with label cat power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cat power. Show all posts
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Cat Power, 4.16.08., 4th&B
Last week was a bit hectic, so I'm getting to the posting now. Wednesday was a bit hectic. I had to be at 4th&B by 7, so I rushed home after work, ate a quick dinner, and just before I was about to head of, an ex showed up at my house out of the blue so I could meet his dog. Apparently not contacting him for oh, 2 years, warranted the unexpected visit, but I had to roll so lates, bro.
I arrived at 4th&B and entered from the side. I was selling merch for Cat Power, so I met the manager outside, caught opener Appaloosa's sound check for a minute, then we got right to work, counting inventory and hanging a display. I had a little time after setting up and Tim was working the show, so we went to hang out on the side for a minute before doors. Chan borrowed my lighter. That was my only contact I had with her for the night. I was glad I didn't really address her, because it wasn't until that night that I learned her name was pronounced "Sean" and not like Jackie Chan. I'm not gonna lie...I don't have any of her albums and I couldn't tell you a single song she sings, except perhaps a couple of her covers. I was glas I was working because I was hoping to understand the big deal, maybe be converted to a fan.
It was fun working the table because so many of my friends were there. I was able to score Natalie a photo pass, so she agreed to give me 3 "exclusive" photos for my site. You can see other examples of her photography on her site here, and a little side note, Natalie is the only photographer being sent to Coachella by Pitchfork Media, so make sure to check her results in the next couple weeks.
The show started with local Addiquit performing a couple songs. It was awkwardly short, and there was no set change when Appaloosa came out since they both seemed to just have some prerecorded beats. I'm happy to report, being that she's local, that several people asked me about Addiquit, and I was happy to write down her myspace page for them.
Addiquit
Appaloosa is from France and was really sweet to me when she found out I was selling her CDs. A few people really weren't digging the set, but plenty of others asked me about her and bought the album, so I guess it was a mixed reaction. The complaints weren't about the music necessarily, but that the show felt like someone messing around with beats in their bedroom and wasn't much to watch on such a huge stage.
Finally Cat Power took the stage. I didn't really get to see the show at all from where I was, and I was disappointed that what I did hear was a whole lot of complaining. "My throat is shot." "What's with these lights?" "Is this room the San Diego aquarium?" and finally, "This is the worst show ever." It wasn't a great show, and to her defense, the next day Cat Power had to cancel several dates because she had wrecked her vocal chords, but it made me wonder why she still felt compelled to play a nearly two hour set.
I watched the crowd flood out after only the first hour, but she kept playing. I think many in San Diego wished that our show was cancelled, too, or at least postponed to a date when she was healthy and all of her stage banter wasn't just a whole bunch of complaints, because while it may have been about the sound, or the lights, or the room, the truth is, when you complain about our city, our town, our venues, it only sounds like you're complaining about us, and we get a little defensive.
After the show, I counted out and got out really late, but stopped by the Ken to be with my peeps and to take a load off, and that I did. I had a good night, I only wish that the people who paid so much for those tickets could say the same.
I arrived at 4th&B and entered from the side. I was selling merch for Cat Power, so I met the manager outside, caught opener Appaloosa's sound check for a minute, then we got right to work, counting inventory and hanging a display. I had a little time after setting up and Tim was working the show, so we went to hang out on the side for a minute before doors. Chan borrowed my lighter. That was my only contact I had with her for the night. I was glad I didn't really address her, because it wasn't until that night that I learned her name was pronounced "Sean" and not like Jackie Chan. I'm not gonna lie...I don't have any of her albums and I couldn't tell you a single song she sings, except perhaps a couple of her covers. I was glas I was working because I was hoping to understand the big deal, maybe be converted to a fan.
It was fun working the table because so many of my friends were there. I was able to score Natalie a photo pass, so she agreed to give me 3 "exclusive" photos for my site. You can see other examples of her photography on her site here, and a little side note, Natalie is the only photographer being sent to Coachella by Pitchfork Media, so make sure to check her results in the next couple weeks.
The show started with local Addiquit performing a couple songs. It was awkwardly short, and there was no set change when Appaloosa came out since they both seemed to just have some prerecorded beats. I'm happy to report, being that she's local, that several people asked me about Addiquit, and I was happy to write down her myspace page for them.
Addiquit
Appaloosa is from France and was really sweet to me when she found out I was selling her CDs. A few people really weren't digging the set, but plenty of others asked me about her and bought the album, so I guess it was a mixed reaction. The complaints weren't about the music necessarily, but that the show felt like someone messing around with beats in their bedroom and wasn't much to watch on such a huge stage.
Finally Cat Power took the stage. I didn't really get to see the show at all from where I was, and I was disappointed that what I did hear was a whole lot of complaining. "My throat is shot." "What's with these lights?" "Is this room the San Diego aquarium?" and finally, "This is the worst show ever." It wasn't a great show, and to her defense, the next day Cat Power had to cancel several dates because she had wrecked her vocal chords, but it made me wonder why she still felt compelled to play a nearly two hour set.
I watched the crowd flood out after only the first hour, but she kept playing. I think many in San Diego wished that our show was cancelled, too, or at least postponed to a date when she was healthy and all of her stage banter wasn't just a whole bunch of complaints, because while it may have been about the sound, or the lights, or the room, the truth is, when you complain about our city, our town, our venues, it only sounds like you're complaining about us, and we get a little defensive.
After the show, I counted out and got out really late, but stopped by the Ken to be with my peeps and to take a load off, and that I did. I had a good night, I only wish that the people who paid so much for those tickets could say the same.
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