Rocky Votolato returns to the Casbah tonight for the first time since he released his last full-length album, Television of Saints, in 2012. Despite being a fan of his for quite sometime, that was my first time seeing Rocky Votolato live, so his 2014 West Coast tour is long overdue and welcomed. But I think it should speak volumes that he counts among Rosey's favorites. Although his 2006 release, Makers, was his breakthrough release, every album since finds his stripped-down approach maturing and providing even more complex melodies. His younger brother, Cody Votolato of Blood Brothers fame, will be backing him on electric guitar tonight, so expect a mix of spare acoustic arrangements with bursts of raw jagged energy. Opening for Rocky Votolato tonight is Lotte Kestner and Kevin Long. Doors are at 9pm tickets are $14 at the door.
Aside from the people talking at the show (which I've already addressed), Rocky Votolato played an amazing show once again at the Casbah. Kevin Long of Spokane opened the show and was pretty stellar, too. Rocky bummed me out at the end of the show when he said he'll probably give up touring next year because he's just not making enough to sustain the lifestyle, but for rabid fans like me, all we can continue to do is spread the word. Despite having a digital copy of his latest, Television of Saints, I grabbed a vinyl copy and picked up Kevin Long's CD, too.
Anyway, this is most of Rocky's set. I stopped for a couple songs to grab drinks, so I think I missed Tinfoil Hats and another song that I don't remember but I wanted to sing along without capturing my own voice on the camera. This playlist of videos has 16 videos.
And here are three songs (that I have yet to title) from Kevin Long.
Earlier this week I was trying to convert the unconverted to attend the Rocky Votolato show at the Casbah. I know at least one person who took a chance and was blown away, however I wanted to talk about something for a second. I know most people lead normal, everyday lives. I don't mean that in any condescending way at all, I did the corporate 9-5 thing and worked among rules and bitchy bosses, and when I got off of work, I wanted nothing more than to unwind and have fun with friends or just veg in front of the TV with a glass of wine (or four). I understand that for most people, going to shows is your chance to unwind and let loose and that most people only actually attend a handful of shows each year (statistically, the average is TWO). I also understand, going to shows night after night, that sometimes you might get a little bored with opening bands, you just want the headliner to play so you can get home in time to get some semblance of normal sleep before having to go back to work. I get it. I really do. What I don't get is paying $15 to see an acoustic artist, and in this case with an acoustic opener, and then talking at the bar throughout the entire show. It was rude during Kevin Long's set (which was amazing if you were actually paying attention), and he was so delicate when he addressed the crowd. But I was completely floored by the four or five people who continued being completely obnoxious throughout Rocky Votolato's set. One guy kept yelling for "Suicide Medicine", and even once Rocky relented and played the song, that was apparently the dude's cue to become even louder at the bar since the one song he obviously came to hear was already done. I appreciate that those people also paid their $15, but it isn't their right to ruin a show for everyone else by merely paying the cover. Both artists were absolutely amazing about how they handled the situation, but I swear it is so tempting sometimes to grab the mic and just tell people to shut the fuck up. Learn some freaking etiquette. The artist, especially the headliner, should never have to get to this point:
"I would just so much appreciate your respect and kindness and just shutting the fuck up."
I can't really write anything about Rocky Votolato that I haven't said before, but I thought in light of Junior Seau's passing and the release of Rocky's new album, I thought I'd share this song that is on the new record, though this video is from a performance last spring. The song is called "Sunlight".
And I'm not generally one to post lyrics, but this song gets me every single time I hear it.
Rundown and run over
watch the car's wheels as they cover up
the last of the green pastures
and still water we lost somewhere
The truth you went looking for
is still hiding under a miracle
till you fall you never know what you've been standing on
Oh, mental health where have you been hiding?
These illusions they can be so blinding
Look at all the beautiful colors
Blue lines, white lines, sunlight bleeding out from a corner
Where you drew it, sunlight waits in a world we knew
Till you fall you never know what you've been holding onto for so long
And the day that I realized what I wanted
These illusions they can be so blinding
Look at all the beautiful colors
Blue lines, white lines, sunlight bleeding out from a corner
Where you drew it, sunlight waits in a world we knew
Where you drew it, sunlight looks like it might be true
Where you drew it, sunlight waits in a world we knew
You know that for ages, I've been a huge fan of Rocky Votolato. He and Barsuk records parted ways and he used Kickstarter to fund his latest record. That album, "Television of Saints" is out today. You can buy it on CD & Vinyl, at iTunes, or on Bandcamp.
It was another brilliant Rocky Votolato show this past Tuesday at the Casbah and since I didn't really shoot at the last one, I wanted to make sure I got some oldies and some of the new stuff that Rocky hopes to put on a new record in early 2012 on video. This playlist consists of 8 videos, a little less than half his set from the night. To navigate the playlist, hit the next button in the YouTube navigation bar.
Playlist:
Start Over (new song)
The Light and the Sound
I'll Catch You
White Daisy Passing
Fool's Gold (new song)
(new song)
True Devotion
Suicide Medicine
It was my first time seeing Matt Pond PA and I really enjoyed him, too, though I wasn't quite ready to shoot much. I did catch one song:
Poor Matt broke his foot on tour, so it's a good thing all the musicians around him are so supportive or he might've just cancelled the tour altogether.
If you've read my site over the years, you already know Rocky Votolato is my favorite. The last few times in town, he's been on his own, but I imagine since it's a Friday night that things might be a bit more energized, perhaps with sharing David Bazan's band. Either way, you're in for an awesome Friday night at the Casbah.
I'm absolutely thrilled about tonight's Casbah lineup with Rocky Votolato, Laura Gibson, and Jesse LaMonaca. In case you're new to this site, Rocky has been one of my favorite songwriters for eons and every performance is nothing short of amazing, whether he's with a full band, or, like tonight, delivering a solo performance. I'm happy that over the years I can call Rocky a friend and glad that he's persevered all of these years. If you haven't picked up True Devotion, I'd recommend bringing some cash to the show because I'm pretty sure he'll have it on vinyl which is obviously the best way to hear it, preferably in a quiet dimly lit room. The show is not only Plan A in CityBeat, but it's the only plan, and for good reason. Be sure to check out the great article about Jesse, also in this week's issue, though contrary to the article, he will just be performing with Brandon Conway on guitar. His birthday is on Sunday, so be sure to wish him well, and get there early to catch his 9pm set.
This is video a playlist I shot of Rocky doing a house show last summer (awkwardly close, I'll admit). Click the right and left arrows to navigate.
So I know I have a ton of really old shows that I need to catch up on and I still have some cool Comic-Con celeb photos and whatnot, but I went up to Huntington Beach earlier tonight and caught up with Rocky Votolato playing a house show. I think YouTube rejected a couple of the videos because they exceeded their limit, but I captured the whole show. (Thanks to Jeff for making this happen)
I promise next time (probably next summer) that Rocky is looking for house shows I will make sure he plays in San Diego, whether it's my backyard, or if I have to move all of my furniture out of my living room, or if we have to do it at my parents' house in Chula Vista...we will get him to San Diego. These are amazing shows and I apologize for the awkward camera angle. I also have to say that there were at least three times that I had to suck back tears because it's one thing to connect to music...another entirely to actually have it played acoustic, without mics and amps, right in your face. Hearing Sunlight, or the cover of Let It Be or Montana made me fight that shit back. I've been a fan of Rocky's for a long time, but there's also something incredible about being able to call April and Rocky friends that makes the music touch me even more.
Here are all of the videos (again, except for the couple that YouTube rejected). Click the arrows to see each video. I'll try to upload the rejected videos. But I'll add Sunlight at the bottom from Rocky's last SD performance because the song is so amazing.
For the record, and because I dream of a Sony sponsorship, all of my videos are captured via Sony Cybershots. Best sound compressor ever.
Last week, I wrote about going to Upland, CA to see Rocky Votolato and Adam H Stephens. Well, I know I'm a slacker, but I finally uploaded the videos from Adam at that show. I missed a couple songs...I made sure to capture Elderwood at Sunday's show, and I shot some photos when they covered Wilson Pickett, but here's most of their set. (use the arrows on the sides to skip around in the playlist) Enjoy! And make sure to keep an eye out. Adam recently finished recording his new record and will be releasing it sometime this summer.
Tonight I took a little mini-roadtrip with Jeff up to Upland, California to see Rocky Votolato and Adam Stephens. Yes, I'll be seeing them again on Sunday at the Casbah, but Jeff offered and I'm not one to turn down a Rocky show, ever, and the opportunity to see him in a super-small all ages venue seemed like a good idea. I love the Casbah, but as Rocky has gained popularity in San Diego, the crowds are bigger and sometimes more boisterous. There's definitely a difference with seeing a performer in an all-ages space versus one where the alcohol is consumed liberally.
The weather wasn't commuter friendly, with rains on and off as we made our way north on the 15, but we had snacks (shrimp cocktail and Humboldt Fog and crackers from Whole Foods) and good music (Musee Mecanique, Rocky's new CD True Devotion, and Dawes) and Jeff had planned on dinner at an Italian restaurant on the same block as the show, so we took off early in the afternoon and despite minor traffic through Ontario and Corona, we made it in pretty good time.
The show was at a venue in Upland called The Wire, which is a relatively new space judging by the congratulations to the owners by the performers, and might be compared to Lestat's, Hotel Cafe or Tin Can Ale House, because it is long and narrow, though it had a deeper stage than any of them, and no seating. This was a benefit in my eyes, as we were able to secure spots up in front without any problems. The sound was great and they had great lighting (though a bit trigger happy on the fading in and out of said lighting.)
There was a local opener and I'll just fast forward past that band because I like to keep it positive. Adam H Stephens took the stage with a band that consisted of him on guitar, a female on bass (and cello for one song), a keyboardist, and a drummer. I love Two Gallants, and Adam's new material is very different than his old band. It's really good, and his songwriting is still great, but with a summer release, it would've been nice to be a little more familiar with the new material since I'm so used to the epic sing-alongs that came with Two Gallants music. Still, if you're planning on coming to the Casbah show, don't miss Adam. Actually, don't miss Correatown, either, because you'll get to see buds Angela Correa and Joanie Mendenhall share the stage. Plus, there's that alcohol thing...
The videos for Adam will take a while, but here's the setlist (as written):
Cities SouthernLi.. Heights California Elder Wood New Song 2nd Mind I Found A Lov W/ Vengeance
No songs from Two Gallants as it seems Adam is distancing himself, perhaps? Or maybe it's an agreement with Tyson as they both pursue new projects not to go there? I don't know. Maybe I'll get the chance to ask him on Sunday, but he was particularly annoyed by the happy lighting finger so I didn't want to bug him. I hate admitting so, but I was pretty wasted last time I talked to him, so I'd rather pretend we've never met anyway.
Since Rocky performed solo, there wasn't a huge space of time for his setup, though he commented about how quiet the crowd got even for his soundcheck. Apparently the night before at the Troubadour was quite the opposite, so he appreciated the silence, though it could probably also be unnerving, too, especially since his latest release and subsequent interviews have been so deeply personal about depression and dramatic highs and lows that his life has seen in the last few years. I think the sing-alongs helped him to know that the crowd was on his side and just wanted to take in every note of every song.
I didn't get Rocky's setlist, as he's notorious for keeping it in a little pocket notepad that someone else had the brains to ask for, but I think I recorded every song he played, which would make the setlist something like this:
Sunlight (a new unrecorded song) Instrument (True Devotion) Alabaster (Suicide Medicine) What Waited For Me (True Devotion) Portland Is Leaving (Makers) Father And Son (Cat Stevens Cover) Sparklers (True Devotion) Tinfoil Hats (Makers) Lucky Clover Coin (True Devotion) Eyes Like Static (True Devotion) Fragments (True Devotion) Sun Devil (True Devotion) Goldfield (Makers) Suicide Medicine (Suicide Medicine) Montana (Suicide Medicine)
Note that there were no songs played from The Brag & Cuss or Burning My Travels Clean...so maybe he'll throw some in on Sunday's set. I should also mention that I had the chance to say hi to Rocky and his wife April before the show and they both are such sweet people, and genuinely grateful that we made the trip up from San Diego. Hopefully they get some sunshine while they're in town since it sounded like the rain has been chasing them around the state thus far.
If my gushing about Rocky here and on SoundDiego isn't enough, here are a few of the videos I shot of the show. I think we might be getting Rocky on Tim Pyles FTP show for a quick interview, too, so be sure to tune in and then catch him at the Casbah.
The rest are still uploading, so I'll insert them as a playlist later. See you at the 'Bah.
I realize I'm a day late, but yesterday Barsuk released Rocky Votolato's new record True Devotion and it wouldn't be right if I didn't write about how much I love this record.
If you've read this blog for any time, you know that Rocky is one of my favorite songwriters. I'll still never forget the day I was sitting at my desk at work streaming Insound Radio and it was kinda fading into the background as I diligently resolved IMR's (think TPS reports) and Rocky's "Without Eyes Still Seeing" (from Burning My Travels Clean) came on. I must've replayed it 20 times before downloading any free MP3s I could find (they have a few there now), ordering the CD, and then researching Rocky to find out that he was playing at the Che Cafe a couple weeks later. Thus began my appreciation for everything he's put out and I'm pretty sure I have his entire catalog, save for any vinyl or stuff from his days in Waxwing.
Anyway, over the years, Rocky has stayed diligent with his song-writing. He's been political, introspective, socially conscious, and he continues to challenge my outlook on life, love, and death. I take his music very personally and it's rare to connect with lyrics like that, especially after so many years. On his latest, True Devotion, he's added broader instrumentation (cello, piano) that complement his voice, his guitar, and that distinctive Rocky harmonica.
Rocky hasn't passed through San Diego since 2008 because 2009 was devoted to recording and doing a few house show tours, but he's finally coming back to the Casbah on March 7 with another of my favorites Adam H. Stephens. His name may seem unfamiliar, but he was the vocal half of Two Gallants, now working on some solo stuff. In fact, Two Gallants was another band I discovered thanks to Insound.
Anyway, you can buy the record here. I'm still waiting on mine because pre-orders come with a free 7", but apparently there was a problem with their pressing. Barsuk was nice enough to send the full record in high quality digital format until my hard copy comes through.
In the meantime, here's a video I shot of Rocky at the Casbah, performing "Sparklers" in July of 2008. This song is on True Devotion.
It's not a secret that Rocky Votolato is my favorite musician, so it shouldn't be surprising that I'd been anticipating this local show for a while. When Drew Andrews was added to the bill, it only made me that much more excited for the night to arrive. I tried to make sure I was there early, but Drew had already started when I arrived. There was a decent sized crowd at the Casbah and it filled up as the night progressed; not quite a sell out by the end of the night, but close. I anticipated the show would be crowded with the Comic-con people decending on the city, but I forgot how disrespectful crowds can be for solo artists. When Drew was singing, it was ok, and his voice filled the room, even over the chatter, but during his instrumental moments is when you could really hear the crowd. He took it in stride and still delivered a great set.
Owen was up next and again had the chatter to deal with. As he was talking at the beginning of the show, there was that annoying sound a cell phone makes when interfering with speakers. He joked about it. Then it happened again and I realized it was my phone. Fucking embarassing. Damn you, Twitter! So anyway, I turned off the phone and all was good, and I was glad it happened before he actually played a song. His performance was great, and he was engaging with his chatter on stage, talking about his wife, his day at the Wild Animal Park, and trying to get feedback from the crowd.
Finally Rocky was up for the night and the chatter of the crowd finally subsided and the room was quiet, riding on his every word. His old label, Second Nature Recordings, has recently reissued some of his older albums and released Suicide Medicine on vinyl for the first time ever, so he while he played stuff from Brag and Cuss and Makers (White Daisy Passing, Makers, Tinfoil Hats, Portland is Leaving), he also went into the archives, playing several songs from Suicide Medicine (Suicide Medicine, Mixtapes/Cellmates among others) and from Burning My Travels Clean. He also played a new song ("Sparkles", see video below) and an old Waxwing song.
A poignant moment in the night was when he explained the story behind "Automatic Rifle", about a young Palestinian suicide bomber who in an effort to avenge the murder of a relative, strapped a bomb to her chest and ended up with one casualty, am Israeli girl who had been raised most of her life in San Francisco, and described how the two girls looked like they could've been sisters. It was pretty heavy listening to the song, as I always thought it was hypothetical and didn't realize it was based on a specific reality.
There were a couple girls up front who were talking, singing, and telling him how much they loved him, and at one point he discreetly leaned into them, presumably to ask them to chill out, but it resulted in them being louder. Kind of a bummer, but he was classy and just played on, even obliging them with their requests. I could listen to Rocky perform all night, and my iTunes playlist definitely sees a lot of usage.
Rocky Votolato, "Sparklers"
As always, it was great to see Rocky and April, his wife, again, and I'll just be counting down until the next time they make it down.
Rocky Votolato never stops blowing my mind. He's such a talent and it was nice to see the Casbah was packed tonight. Not quite a sell-out, but it was close. There was still room to breathe which was nice after the jammed Lucero show on Tuesday.
Here, Rocky performs an old Waxwing song, "Where Did The Time Go?"
Rocky Votolato played at the Casbah tonight with Owen and Drew Andrews. I'll post more video when I get the chance, but in the meantime, here's his final song of the night, Mixtapes/Cellmates, from Suicide Medicine.
I was particularly excited because he played a new song, but I need to ask him if it's cool to post it before doing so, otherwise I'll hold on to it till I get the go ahead.
Did you know that Swim Party Alex is homies with WMMF? Well, they were hanging at his house last weekend in between nights of their residency in LA and showed off their new video. When I heard this, I immediately messaged the manager to ask when the vid would be released, but there was some exclusivity issue with MySpace so it couldn't be leaked...but now it's on MySpace and Stereogum and other sites, so now, I share with you:
Man, I have been loving Barsuk, by the way...with Rocky, and John VanDerslice, and the new What Made Milwaukee Famous...and then Nada Surf's "Lucky"...the label just can't do wrong with me.
There were a whole boatload of shows I wanted to catch this week, but work was quite demanding, and I just couldn't get to them. Adjusting back to a day job has been a little challenging. You know, that whole "waking up in the morning" thing...so I did the Ken Club thing on Tuesday, which I wrote about as I was there, then Wednesday I skipped the Casbah show and opted for sleep, cuz I really freakin needed it.
But come Thursday, I did make sure I made it out to UCSD. I really wanted to catch The Midwinters, but there were a couple problems with that. First, I'd never been to Porter's. Second, I don't go to UCSD ever. Third, there is a shitload of construction happening on the UCSD campus. All of this resulted in me driving all around the campus in search of parking and I actually made myself carsick. I was ready to just skip it altogether. Instead, I persevered and found a spot (finally!) and got there in time for Chris & Thomas. The only thing was that when I got there, all I wanted was a beer, so I had one in the pub part, then found Rocky and April inside the venue.
It was great to see them again. They told me that they turned this one off show at UCSD into a full on vacation. It was their 9 year wedding anniversary and as April said, "It's both of our favorite city." Yay, San Diego. So anyway, they'd been here a few days and were gonna be here through Saturday. Unfortunately, they were hoping to go to the zoo on Friday but that morning it ended up pouring, so I doubt that worked out. They'll just have to come back.
Anyway, Rocky played solo and it was great to see him with only an acoustic guitar and his voice, since even in his most recent instores, he still opts for the electric. He had a 50 minute set, which meant he was able to play a lot of his back catalog, including the Waxwing song I posted earlier. It was, yet again, another amazing chance to see my favorite musician showing yet another side of his talent. And those young college kids...man, they LOVE rocky. Apparently his music was on a Starbucks compilation or something, so his fan base is growing. Catch him in the next small venue that you can...while you still can.
Another capture from Rocky's show at Porter's on Thursday. The first time I saw Rocky Votolato, in 2001, was at Che Cafe. In the years since, I've never seen Rocky do a Waxwing song, so this was really cool. Anyone interested in Waxwing should go to Second Nature Recordings and check out the catalog of CDs available.
Rocky Votolato performing "Keep This Up"
There was a chick taking polaroid instant shots and had no qualms about doing it right in my ear. Those cameras are LOUD. You can hear her camera, especially in the last section of the song.
I still haven't gotten to properly write about Sunday, so clearly I'm a little behind with posting. I'm heading down to the Casbah now, but in the meantime, here's some video from Rocky's solo performance last night at Porter's Pub.
