The Builders & The Butchers, Illinois, Modlins @ Casbah, 7.18.09

I spent Saturday afternoon at StayClassy.org's Tailgate Party at Petco Park, left before the Padres game even started, and took an unintentional nap before realizing I hadn't really planned out how I was going to get to the Casbah. Fortunately Jake didn't have plans and we headed down to the show. I have to say I was a little disappointed that I didn't make the time to preview this show because it is one that I certainly thought would/should sell out. It was a good crowd for sure but WE CAN DO BETTER, SAN DIEGO!

Anyway, I hoped we'd get there for Modlins, but only caught their last few songs. They had a lot of friends out to catch them early and that was certainly nice to see.

I was so excited to see Illinois again. Their last show in San Diego was a while back at Cane's when they played with Blitzen Trapper and The Hold Steady. Andrea and I had caught their show a couple months before that at Casbah and were blown away, and frontman Chris 'Arch' gave us his number to be on the list for that show and I've had a certain soft spot for them ever since. 'keep on reading' for more.


So Illinois did a pretty unique thing over the past year, releasing their music in small 3 or 4 song eps, each accompanied by video episodes following The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, playing a release show for each chapter, allowing people to buy a flash drive that could be updated as each new chapter was released. Unfortunately the Pennsylvania based band played mostly east coast shows and a couple coastal residencies, so I just had to be a patient fan, waiting for them to return to San Diego. Now that the full album, The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe, is released (20 songs + videos! For $10 at the shows!) Chris and the boys were back. I don't wanna say the show was worth the wait, because I truly hated the wait, but it was everything I'd hoped it would be and more. After the set, as more and more people approached Chris to tell him how amazing the performance was, I know it wasn't just me glowing from the performance. Chris still rocks the banjo like I've rarely seen before.







Not to be too cheesy, but there are a lot of bands that I've met over time, and there are certain indie-rockers that always make me happy...Paul from Langhorne Slim, Marty from Blitzen Trapper, and Chris is definitely up on that last. We hung out for a while until it was time to catch The Builders and The Butchers.

The band started by saying that this was their fifth time at the Casbah in 15 months, and that they've never had a streak like that with any other venue. I think I've been to all of those performances, too, incidentally, and every show is an awesome party. The band was just named Paste Magazine's Band of the Week and just last week released a music video from their new record and also did a killer Daytrotter Session.



Their list of toys appears to keep growing, and the stage was strewn with tambourines, shakers, cowbells, pots and pans, and other noisemakers to allow the crowd to participate throughout their set. And did they ever. At one point I was back by the soundboard just watching the frenzied dancers with a smile on my face. But mostly I was upfront being a part of all of the fun.





They have a 12" vinyl that I really wanted that is a split with Loch Lomond, but watching the budget, and the lack of a download prevented my purchase, but as someone in the band told me, "just go get it from the internet."

They played a long crazy set and it was a nice follow up to having seen Blitzen Trapper and Loch Lomond just a few days before.

After the show ended I chilled around the back bar talking to Martin from Illinois and then playing pool with Chris. He told me I wasn't allowed to blog about my win, but since he took the second game, I guess it's ok. I didn't want the night to end and was sad when it finally did, but hopefully the guys won't wait another 2 years to come back around. In the meantime, can't complain about a 20 song record. check out more info on Illinois here.

Illinois: More YouTube

I uploaded another video from Illinois' performance Friday night, this one capturing Chris rocking the banjo in all his awesomeness, as well as Tad Kubler of the Hold Steady joining in on drums. They didn't have a setlist and this song is not on the EP, so if anyone wants to name the song, post it in the comments. Bear with the in and out focusing...the camera does it on it's own.

Friday Recap Pt 1: Truckee Brothers, Blitzen Trapper, Illinois

What a weekend. I only went to about half the events that I'd planned on, but sometimes plans are just made to be changed or altered.

Friday afternoon started off with a free lunchtime performance in front of the NBC building by the Truckee Brothers. In all the years they’ve been playing around town, I finally got to check them out without just seeing them in passing at some street fair or something. A good crowd of people came by their set and it was a beautiful sunny day and a good kickoff to what would be a great weekend. (The band is usually in a shaded area, but they're redoing the planters or something, so the band had this ugly backdrop. Hopefully that is fixed soon.)





After the noontime show, I headed home, made some calls, took care of my responsibilities, then took my afternoon nap.

The last time Illinois played in San Diego, Andrea and I met Chris, the singer, and he had told me to contact him this time around so he could put me on their list for their show with the Hold Steady. Even back then, there was the possibility of doing the Great Northern show, so I just didn’t think I would or could pull it off. After talking to some friends for guidance, they convinced me that it was ok to try to do both, that's what I do as a blogger.

I text messaged Chris, he put me on the list and gave me their set time, and Andrea and I headed to Cane’s with ample time to catch Blitzen Trapper and also to see Illinois again. This was actually the perfect stage for both bands as they could spread out on the stage and do their thing. Blitzen Trapper had seven guys on stage jamming out with a good indie rock vibe that reminded me of the first time I saw the Shins on the same stage. At times they had a CSN&Y sound that I liked (Listen to "Jericho" to see what I'm talking about).












Blitzen Trapper Setlist, Cane's, 6/1/07

In the back, the guys from Illinois were hanging out so we got to chat a bit before it was their time to play and once they hit the stage at 9:50, the venue was filling out and you could see the crowd instantly converted if they didn’t arrive already fans of the band. Chris had more room to jump around and dance and were even more impressive than the last time I saw them.













Illinois, "Headphones", Cane's 6/1/07

Unfortunately I did have other obligations so I couldn't stay and see the Hold Steady. As soon as Illinois finished, I was out the door and on my way to the Beauty Bar. Andrea decided to stay behind with Natalie, so check out her blog for her review and pictures. Also, Shadowscene has posted pictures here.

The Hold Steady Comment on San Diego

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

Even with a dossier full of adoring press, The
Hold Steady remains a scuffling indie band. Finding its music on commercial
radio is virtually impossible, and while you can find some videos from the band
on YouTube, you'll be hard-pressed to find them on MTV or Fuse. That's not a
problem, keyboardist Nicolay pointed out in a recent interview, since the band
doesn't expect critical praise to lead to full-blown rock stardom...

..."One of the great things about this band is
that every time we go out, you can see a noticeable increase in the crowd,"
Nicolay said. "San Diego is a place I always think of like that, where we've
played the same place every time we've been there. The first time, there was
maybe 40 people. The next time, there was 150, and the next was
300."

The Hold Steady are playing at Cane's on June 1. Illinois is? are? opening and they are a-maz-ing so check em out, too.

Saturday Recap (pt.1): Illinois @ Casbah

I wish I could say Saturday was productive, but instead was completely lazy, starting with lunch with my sister's at Ponce's and fighting food coma the rest of the day. I did clean in prep for the chance that I would have an after party, but unfortuantely my landlord was still around, so I was both hoping I would and would've have people show up at my house at 2 am. Still I prepared for it, then headed down to the Casbah. I was bummed that by the time I arrived I only got to see two songs from Illinois. Those two songs were enough to blow me away and buy their 7 song ep. When I got there, Andrea was pushing me, "Hurry Up and take pictures~ Dude is rockin a banjo!" Later, when the singer Chris and I were talking, he laughed about that. He said us west coasters are so easily impressed. Maybe we are. Or maybe they just really rock.











Throughout the night, we were chatting with the band and invited them to the after-party but they decided it was a smarter move to drive straight up to San Francisco through the night so they could catch a Giants game on Sunday before their tour took off with the Kooks. I am especially excited they will be returning to town soon with The Hold Steady, though I'm gonna have to plan the night to make it work that I can see them, part of The Hold Steady, then race to Beauty Bar for Great Northern's CD release.

CD Release : Republic Of Letters

I have all kinds of CDs I should be reviewing, MP3s to be posting, and contests to announce, but things have been pretty chaotic for me. First, there's that whole day job thing getting in the way of my real life, then there's my dinosaur of a computer that makes every task take 80 times longer than it should, and then there's my asshole mailman who pussed out the one time my dog was outside, so my mail has been on hold for two weeks already until the boxes are moved outside the property, which apparently isn't as simple as it sounds. drama. All of that said, there are some things I've been paying attention to, so I'll start with one and hopefully gradually increase my mini posts.

Republic of Letters: It's no secret that I love Republic of Letters...the guys are all good friends of mine and I am a fan of their music. In fact, I was a fan before we were friends, so my bias is allowed. I've always compared their music to early U2 or my favorite local band of the early 90's, Blacksmith Union. They worked long and hard recording their EP in LA and it's finally being released at a CD Release show this Saturday. You can listen to their appearance on The Local Pyle by clicking here and scrolling down to The Local Pyle dated 4/22 or check out their MySpace for some of the new tracks. They will be joined by two other Dialed In favorites, Vinyl Radio and Dynamite Walls. Also on the bill is touring band Illinois who are taking a break from touring with The Kooks (presumably while the Kooks play Coachella) and who will be touring later with The Hold Steady (including their stop in SD on June 1). The show is a mere $8 and so worth it.