Photos: MGMT at San Diego Civic Theatre, May 19, 2018

I did my best is all I can say. MGMT played at Symphony Hall on May 19, 2018 and I didn't ever post the pics because they just weren't that great. But the show was! And I got to interview them for SoundDiego! And Darren was able to come and sneak down from the upper balcony to come sit with me, so it wasn't a total wash. Just that my pics aren't the best. That's okay. I'm always learning.

MGMT, Francis & The Lights, Helios Creed @ Open Air Theatre, July 15, 2010

Did I ever blog about the time I tucked Andrew VanWyngarden into bed? I wanna say it was after MGMT had played at X-Fest. Or Street Scene? I'm not really sure. But the first time they played in San Diego, opening for Yeasayer, I met them at the Casbah and had invited them to an after party. They never came, but they called to thank me for the offer, so now I had this phone number on my cell, and after some texting, Abraham and I were picking up whiskey and beer and heading to the Town & Country. The phone number didn't even belong to anyone in the band, it was their friend who toured with them in the early days, I think. We hung out at the room, chatted for a little while, then they were tired so I tucked Andrew into his hotel bed and we left. This is why when we saw Andrew at the Fairey wall, I gave him a huge hug, though I'm still convinced he had no memory of having ever met me and must've thought I was a crazy person.

I tell you all of this because it is always awesome as a fan to have a story with the artists. Whether you've attached meaning to a record or had some experience meeting a band, when you've really connected, even in your own head, the concert experience is that musch more amazing. Jeff bought tickets in pre-sale, so we were sitting in the 5th row in the pit area, and while I wasn't impressed at all by the openers, it didn't matter because MGMT were everything I wanted them to be. I had declined a photo pass because of some rule that after 3 songs you have to take your equipment back to your car only to realize my camera would have been excepted from this rule, so bummer there, but I still had a great time. See photos and read more after the jump.


It was kind of a crazy night. while MGMT was playing at the Open Air Theatre, Tool had a sold out show at Viejas Arena so traffic and parking could have been a nightmare. Fortunately we got in and out without any serious traffic, though I live really close to State, so it couldn't really be that bad anyway. The first band was Helios Creed. Not sure if it was the empty facility at 7:30 when they started or what, but they seemed to be the loudest act of the night, and I didn't find them particularly interesting nor annoying. They're just a band that for me didn't have any memorable moments.

Francis & The Lights, on the other hand, were FULL of memorable moments. Perhaps channelling Prince and John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever, it was hard to take this band serious, and it's hard to know if that is the intention or not. Here's the texting that went on between me and Zack from Sezio:
Z: "I could take you home, but you're already there..."
R: Are you sexting me?
Z: Haha, maybe. Did you just see those dance moves..!!!!?? This is ridiculous. Must be a joke, huh?
R: That was awesome. Too slow with the video. They should play with Fitz.
Z: They should never play again...Wow.
R: I bet he drives a Trans Am.
Z: Totally. And is wearing a pink ladies thong.
R: No way. I bet he has a zebra stripe man sling.
Then he tweeted about me learning some new dance moves and I responded with something about Francis probably having a mirrored headboard.

After they finished, I went up to the concession area to find a friend and it seemed everyone was there. I'd already seen Halloran and Rich & Kristen Cook, but I bumped into Transfer, some Nervous Wreckords, Ray Suen, Owen Salerno, Ron Fountenberry (Softlightes), Pyles and his wife, Sharon, and a handful of others. It was a nice break before heading back down to my seat. I loved the show and dug the visuals projected behind the band, it would've been nice to see a little more light on the actual band members...for photo sake, too, but also just visually I like to see performers and on a huge stage. When the band played KIDS, they were all instrument free, which was a little odd but gave the band the opportunity to let loose on stage a little before going into their encore, which we moved right front and center for. It's funny how a loose camera policy lets the Elite staff be so much more relaxed about everything, really only having to get people from standing on their seats.

All in all, it was a fantastic show and though not sold out, the full theatre on a hot summer night really made this feel like a kick off to summer.

Tabula Rasa: Shepard Fairey

Sometimes San Diego shows some amazing signs of life. Yesterday I posted some photos of Shepard Fairey's art wall in Hillcrest. Today he's out on 29th and Ivy working on another wall. It's in the beginning stages and the cinder block wall seems to create challenges to make sure that all the grout gets filled in, so when Tim Pyles and I dropped by, someone was out hunting for brushes. Shepard and Tim go way back so they chatted about the work and he showed us the poster of what the completed piece will look like. He expects this one to take two days, and unlike the wheatpasting, this piece is going to be painted and stenciled. He said that the Urban Outfitters piece will probably only live for about 8 or 9 months because there are plans for a building in the lot adjacent to Urban Outfitters, but this one he expects will be permanent. He introduced us to a couple guys who work with him, including Spencer, the Nirvana baby. As we were hanging out, Rich Cook walked up with Andrew VanWyngarden from MGMT, in town for his show tomorrow night at the OAT. Which reminded me that I have to get my work into NBC...

Um, yeah, just another day in San Diego. Excuse me while I geek out a little.

Update: My friend David went down later in the day yesterday and got some amazing photos of Shepard, the crew, and the work in progress. Check it here.

Jeff's Weekly Pick: MGMT @ Open Air Theatre July 15, 2010

Concerts during the summertime have essentially become the time for festivals and larger outdoor events. While my preference is for the smaller club shows, I look forward to the bigger shows since they are limited in number. MGMT, the Brooklyn-based band of Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser, will be kicking off their next run of concerts in America's Finest City at SDSU's beautiful Open Air Theatre this Thursday. One of the hardest things for a relatively new band to do is produce a sophomore effort equal to or better than their first. While this all becomes subjective, it was not going to be easy for MGMT, since several tracks from Oracular Spectactular seemed to playing anywhere and everywhere. It would have been safe for the band to make a second album with more of the same, but that is not the case this time. Congratulations, released in April, shows the band going in a different direction. While the songs might not be so instantly likeable, the album shows a band that is willing to try different things while trying to evolve musically. After repeated listens, I find myself liking Congratulations as much as their initial offering if not more. Suffice it to say, the concert this Thursday should be outstanding.

Francis and The Lights and Helios Creed set the stage.

Watch a video of It's Working below.

MGMT Set To Play Open Air Theatre July 15

MGMT's sophomore release, Congratulations, was recently released to both adoring and repulsed reviews. Personally, the record is exactly what I expected from the pair, kinda out there. It's been growing on me, but for a band that created their own niche in modern music, most critics had higher expectations of the band. Regardless, for those of us who are still fans, the band has added several dates to their tour, including a stop at the Open Air Theatre at SDSU. Tickets go onsale on Friday through Ticketmaster.
For full tour schedule, click 'keep on reading'.


05/02/10 EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ -MEADOWLANDS SPORTS COMPLEX (BAMBOOZLE FESTIVAL)

05/28/10 SAN LUIS OBISPO, CA -AVILA BEACH CLUB

05/29/10 SANTA CRUZ, CA-SANTA CRUZ CIVIC AUDITORIUM SOLD OUT

05/31/10 GEORGE, WA -GORGE AMPHITHEATER (SASQUATCH! FESTIVAL) SOLD OUT

06/01/10 PORTLAND, OR-CRYSTAL BALLROOM

06/02/10 PORTLAND, OR-CRYSTAL BALLROOM

06/04/10 SALT LAKE CITY, UT -IN THE VENUE

06/06/10 AUSTIN, TX -STUBB'S BBQ SOLD OUT

06/07/10 HOUSTON, TX -HOUSE OF BLUES SOLD OUT

06/08/10 DALLAS, TX -HOUSE OF BLUES SOLD OUT

06/11/10 DENVER, CO – RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATER

06/13/10 KANSAS CITY, MO -UPTOWN THEATRE

06/14/10 INDIANAPOLIS, IN -THE VOGUE THEATRE SOLD OUT

06/15/10 COLUMBUS, OH-LC PAVILION

06/16/10 DETROIT, MI -THE FILLMORE

06/18/10 CHICAGO, IL -RIVIERA THEATER SOLD OUT

06/20/10 MILWAUKEE, WI -RIVERSIDE THEATER

*07/15/10 SAN DIEGO, CA - SDSU OPEN AIR THEATRE

*07/16/10 LOS ANGELES, CA -GREEK THEATRE-LA

*07/18/10 POMONA, CA -FOX THEATRE

*07/24/10 VANCOUVER -COMMODORE BALLROOM

*08/04/10 MONTREAL -METROPOLIS

*08/05/10 TORONTO -KOOL HAUS

08/08/10 CHICAGO, IL –LOLLAPALOOZA

*08/11/10 HOLYOKE, MA- MOUNTAIN PARK

Street Scene 2008 Photos: Day 1

So I loved Street Scene this year. Yes, there were the positives...back downtown has that urban feel people in San Diego long for...and the minuses...like I drank a goddamn energy drink that made me feel like shit for the entirety of Saturday, but I endured. Not one band's set disappointed, the sound was great on every stage (and during The National I didn't experience the bleed people spoke of because I hung on the left side of the stage) and the ins and outs plus a photo pass plus hanging with friends who were OK to let me run off on my own but still hang out when it was time to call it a night made it an amazing weekend. I will attempt to write a little about everything I saw and experienced, but mostly, since I uploaded, I wanna post the pics, so after the jump, you can see my version of Street Scene 2008.


On Friday I was rearing to go but my friends took a little bit longer to motivate, so I did my thing at my place, then hopped on the bus to Petro and Kris' house while we waited for others to meet up. We had some beers, then some shots at Rosie O'Grady's before finally catching the bus downtown. It's a long ride, but it was fun being with a group of friends.

The busride to downtown

I was told my photo pass fell through, but while I was waiting to hand off tickets to a friend who was coming from LA, I thought I might as well try and see if the list went through, and sure enough, while not granted a full media pass, I was handed a photo pass. The lines at that point were chaos, but there was a media line and I cruised right in. MGMT were about to start, and that stage was crowded, but some way, some how, I squished my body through hoardes of people to make it up to the photo pit in time for their set. The band looked happy and healthy which was great, since the last time I saw them they looked a bit shellshocked and worn down.

MGMT




After the first three songs, as photographers were kicked out of the pit, I wanted nothing to do with the Zarabunda Stage, and wormed my way right back out, listening to a few songs from the very back of the stage area. I think of all the bands on the weekend, they were most inappropriately placed as far as stage and time go because they were incredibly popular.

I wandered to The Casbah stage and caught Foals within the 3 song allotment. This band is so incredible and I feel like they'll endure while other flash in the pan bands come and go. They're so entertaining and energetic on stage.

Foals




After Foals, I wandered to a beer garden to wait for TVOTR, but the lines were insane. It was about 7 and we had about 45 minutes, and I convinced Jake and Dagart to leave with me. We hopped on a cab and had drinks at Chee Chee, and made it back in time for TV On The Radio. I took pics of them at shows prior, despite them making kind of a big deal about no photos, which always makes me nervous that there will be a big Band of Horses or QOTSA outburst from the band, but with that in mind, I was among probably 40 photographers in the pit, and Kip made eye contact with me as they played and gave me a head nod and a smile, shirking my fear of bearded guys that hate photographs. Their set was incredible and they definitely delivered, though I could say that about pretty much every band I saw throughout the weekend.

TV On The Radio




After TVOTR, I made my way to Spoon's stage and posted up in a spot. There were so many photographers that I decided to only shoot 2 songs per band then move along so I wouldn't get bullied for using a point and shoot cybershot amongst all the crazy media peeps with gigantic lenses. I've seen Spoon so many times now but it never gets old. Britt blows me away. And with a full horn section, their set really rocked.

Spoon




After Spoon, I was done with the big stages and wanted to catch the Casbah stage again, since I think it had been nearly two years since I'd seen Devotchka. I guess their Eastern European sound kinda takes me back to my Polish roots and listening to polkas with my dad as a kid, and there is something about their sound that, while still indie rock, brings an element of tradition to it. They sounded amazing, but the lighting didn't work out so much for my P&S or PoS camera, depending on how you look at it.

Devotchka




Last, I made my way back to the nightmare chaos stage to worm my way through the crowd for Vampire Weekend. I still love this band, despite their unfortunate overhype and subsequent backlash. They make me happy, and when I met them all in the past, they were all sweet and humble guys just enjoying the ride while they can. Can't knock them for that.

Vampire Weekend








After Vampire Weekend, I attempted Beck but was rejected for not having a secondary special photo pass, which pretty much made me give a big middle finger and skip his performance. I guess with Beck I'm a fairweather fan. I only own/like Sea Change, and the last time I saw him at RIMAC I was bored to bits, so I wandered.

I did make one more stop at The Casbah stage for Antibalas who played furiously and had a great political message to their music, not to mention being the only band I danced to all night.

Antibalas


And that was the end of our Street Scene adventure. I caught a ride with Dagart and Jake and we hit the Chee Chee for a while after the show, then went to the Ken. It was a punk night there and it was packed and I ran into a bunch of friends there, so afterward a couple of them came over thinking we'd have a full on after party, but everyone else bailed I guess. Still we had a good time catching up and I finally crashed out around 4 am. Entirely not enough sleep for Saturday's festivities, but such is my life sometimes. I'll post a Day Two recap soon.

FM 94/9 Independence Jam pt 3

So by this point in the day, MgmT was hitting the mainstage. I was feeling the burn from all those stairs and a happy buzz as I descended the stairs. MgmT just makes me happy. My feeling is that some of their songs could be sped up slightly for live performances, but they just chill out all happy and it lends itself to people being able to hear every lyric of "Time To Pretend", "Youth", and all the other songs my friends and I have gotten down to since the album came out.

At this point of the day I was regretting that I didn't have a backup memory card for my camera, so I conserved and didn't even spend the full allotted time in the pit. I think this was also the point in the day that I teased one of the guards about not smiling. Blow-up beach balls were flying into the pit, so I picked one up and tossed it back to the crowd. The security are supposed to look mean and intimidating, and sometimes they are, but most of them are young, many of them servicemen or former servicemen, and after being treated like shit by everyone all day, you might seem grumpy, too. I talked to a couple of them, and I could tell they were good on the inside, particularly when one of them gave me a "psst" to let me know I needed to tend to more beach balls, something they are not allowed to do. I mean really, they're not even supposed to smile. That made me happy as I skipped out of the photo pit.

The VIP area was open by that point, so I watched the end of MgmT while eating a burger, watching the crowd slowly bump like a wave to the end of their set. We stayed up there for a while, regrettably missing The Muslims.

After discovering some barely used port-o-potties I had another quick cerveza then caught The Cold War Kids. They announced they'll have a new release later this summer and played some new songs, but kept everyone happy with "Hang Me Out To Dry" and "Hospital Beds" among others from their earlier releases (the eps and full length). I seriously love these guys and hope they end up on the Street Scene lineup, or better yet, play a little small show at the Casbah. Fingers crossed. I haven't heard anything, by the way, I'm just hoping.





At this point in the day it was about 6pm. I caught the full set, then Natalie and I were smart enough to go around from the VIP to the local stage where The Silent Comedy was just about to bring it down.