93.3 KTCL Big Gig - Red Rocks

Took my son to his first time concert at Red Rocks (gotta do it right).  Actually a pretty decent day of bands as well as a fairly diverse group of music.  The day's set began with the Wombats.  Band I knew nothing about and after the day probably the one band that I left with the biggest desire to hear more.  Unfortunately they only have one album so not much more to hear.  They reminded me a lot of the Cure.  The second band was The Hives.  Again a band I knew but couldn't place any of their songs until after their set and then figured out who they were.  Of all the bands the energy they displayed was incredible especially at a Mile High.  A great rock band.  Loved their enthusiam.  The next band was then local favorite 3OH!3.  A Boulder band similar to Linkin Park although I am not a huge fan of alternative rap the crowd made the set pretty fantastic.  The final act was Silversun Pickups which to me made the "gig" although I don't think they are big enough to be a anchor band yet.  Great band as always but I think they are a tweener band right now.  Not quite ready for the big stage but too ready for that big stage.  In the end I was bummed because Nikki, their bassist, was on maternity leave :(  Great day of music at the world's greatest concert venue!

Natasha Paremski - Dvorak

 

This is show number four (although now I have seen her five total times) for me.  First seen here, then here, and then here.  Tremendous performance as always.  Thankfully she must enjoy Denver because she keeps coming back.

This year she was sort of promoting her new CD.  After her piece she signed.  When it was my time for her to sign I asked her about her red shoes.  She smiled and said not this time around.  This goes back to the first time I saw her and she wore these eye grabbing shoes.

This time she wore a beautiful dress.  Very striking.  She played Dvorak this time around (Piano Concerto in G minor, Op. 33).  As always she plays a wonderful show.  Simply crazy the way she can play.  I would love to see her play a piece a know.  Maybe next year!

Colorado Symphony - Show II

Second show of the season.  Three pieces:  Bernstein - Overture to Candide, Glass - Violin Concerto No. 2, "The American Four Seasons", and Beethoven - Symphony No. 7 in A major, Op. 92.  Desire to see "The American Four Seasons" and special guest violinist,  Robert McDuffie, played this piece.  Did not realize Glass actually wrote the piece for McDuffie.  Fascinating to see someone play a piece created for him.  Nice piece although didn't think it had a whole lot in common with the real "Four Seasons".  OK show.

Colorado Symphony - Show II

First show of the season.  Three pieces:  Beethoven - Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43, Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major, Op 15, and Holst - The Planets, Op 32.  Obviously the reason for this show was The Planets.  Always good to hear especially Mars and Jupiter.  This go around they played to a video showing the planets.  I thought the video could have been a bit more dynamic especially with the missions to Jupiter and Saturn but hey they aren't astronomers and heck Holst when he did the symphony was supposedly more into the astrology aspects of planets.  

R.E.M - Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight

Not quite my favorite band, not quite really anything.  R.E.M is one of those bands that just plays in the background of my life, not really as an active participant but something that is meaningful.  My musical history start around 7th grade when I got some music as a birthday present (Quiet Riot and Def Leppard). Thankfully I didn't go down that road of head banging and what not.  When I hit 9th grade I would take road trips with the track team and the older kids had certain musical interests.  At the time, U2's Joshua Tree had just come out and R.E.M just happened to be a band from Athens, GA where most of the seniors on the track team were going to college.  R.E.M at the time represented that "I can't wait to get to college" feel that most seniors have.  Plus throw in the Inside/Out movie and R.E.M was one of those "bands"that every high school kid wanted to know about because it was a college "cool" thing.  Once I got over calling them  rem instead of R...E...M I got to know the band.

Didn't hurt that Lifes Rich Pageant (1986) and Document (1987) came out in my music formative years either.  Either way Lifes Rich Pageant has become one of my top 5 albums.  Just a simple album that when played takes me back to age 15-16 when the world was new and full of something to find.  R.E.M was prolific in their albums and they kept me company through 8 years of school (HS and college) by releasing five albums in that time.  Their last great album for me was New Adventures in Hi-Fi (1996).  Not for sure but at the time I was spending a lot of time in the car due to my work being far away and so I got to listen to a lot of music.  This one kept me company and the album cover reminded me of where I lived!

So all in all a great band.  Not a "must see" but solid.  I did see them a few years ago in a small concert hall in Denver.  Great to hear the music, not so good to see Stipe having to suck on oxygen for almost the whole second half of the show.  Glad the band could go out on its own terms.  I do think that when their drummer, Bill Berry, left; R.E.M lost a step or two.  As another famous drummer, Larry Mullen, Jr said it best, "People say, 'Why don't you do interviews? What do you think about this? What do you think about that?' My job in the band is to play drums, to get up on stage and hold the band together. That's what I do. At the end of the day that's all that's important. Everything else is irrelevant."  Drummers hold bands together, drummers are the spine of the band...and I think R.E.M lost something back in 1997.  

Anyway top favorite albums:
1. Lifes Rich Pageant
2. New Adventures in Hi-Fi
3. Document
4. Green
5.  Fables of Reconstruction

Favorite Songs:
1.  Cuyahoga
2.  Superman
3.  So Fast, So Numb
4.  E-Bow the Letter
5.  Finest Worksong
6.  Driver 8
7.  The One I Love
8.  Half a World Away
9.  Let Me In
10.  Crush with Eyeliner
11.  Sweetness Follows

And finally one of the better websites ever on R.E.M and can be found here....

U2 - 360 Tour

360 Tour 2011 (May 21st)

Opening Act: The Fray

Comments:  Great setup but the 50 year old band members have started to age.  Still a lot of energy and amazing that a band can fill an 80,000 football stadium but some of the song choices seemed weak.  Plus the flow was a bit off (perhaps they needed to catch their breaths?).  Anyway was glad to finally see them after a year delay but the hype has gotten to them and maybe they need to get back to the basics.  Bono seemed distant and a little off.  Back to the flow comment, I just felt the songs choices didn't jive all that well especially toward the end when you couldn't tell if they were preparing for the encore, in the encore, or what.  I especially disliked the abrupt ending, come on, finish off with an anthem and make everyone go home happy!  Oh and the poem...here

Setlist:

Even Better Than The Real Thing I Will Follow Get On Your Boots Magnificent Mysterious Ways Elevation Until The End Of The World All I Want Is You Stay (Faraway, So Close!) Beautiful Day Pride (In The Name Of Love) Miss Sarajevo Zooropa City Of Blinding Lights Vertigo I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight / Discothèque (snippet) / Please (snippet) Sunday Bloody Sunday Scarlet Walk On / You'll Never Walk Alone (snippet) encore(s): One Where The Streets Have No Name Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me With Or Without You Moment of Surrender

Vertigo Tour 2005 (April 20th)

Comments:  Got tickets at the last minute through ebay.  Seats were behind the stage a couple of rows from the top.  Was worth the money and not all that bad of a show.

Setlist:

1. Love And Peace Or Else
2. Vertigo / Stories For Boys (snippet)
3. Elevation
4. The Cry
5. The Electric Co. / Send In The Clowns (snippet) / I Can See For Miles (snippet)
6. An Cat Dubh
7. Into The Heart
8. City Of Blinding Lights
9. Beautiful Day / Rain (snippet)
10. Miracle Drug
11. Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own / No Regrets (snippet)
12. New Year's Day
13. Sunday Bloody Sunday
14. Bullet The Blue Sky / When Johnny Comes Marching Home (snippet) / The Hands That Built America (snippet)
15. Running To Stand Still
16. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
17. Where The Streets Have No Name
18. One / She's A Mystery To Me (snippet)
encore(s):
19. Zoo Station
20. The Fly
21. Mysterious Ways
22. All Because Of You
23. Yahweh
24. 40

Elevation Tour 2001 (April 6th)
Opening Act: PJ Harvey

Comments:  Best show ever for me.  Was seated right next to the stage and could literally spit on Bono has he walked by.  Not one bad song and fabulous setlist.

Setlist:

Elevation / Creep (snippet) Beautiful Day Until The End Of The World New Year's Day Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of Gone Discothèque / Devil Inside (snippet) / Love To Love You Baby (snippet) / Staring At The Sun(snippet) New York I Will Follow Sunday Bloody Sunday / Get Up Stand Up (snippet) Sweetest Thing In A Little While / Crazy Love (snippet) The Ground Beneath Her Feet Bad / 40 (snippet) Psalm 116 (snippet) / Where The Streets Have No Name Mysterious Ways The Fly encore(s): Bullet The Blue Sky / Whole Lotta Love (snippet) / Young Americans (snippet) With Or Without You One / 40 (snippet) Walk On

Popmart Tour 1997 (April 25th)

Comments: Never see a show right out of the gate.  Popmart truly beat the band to a bloody pulp.  Again nosebleed seats and the band seemed disjointed all night (what show plays a song twice because they messed it up?).

Setlist:

Mofo I Will Follow Even Better Than The Real Thing Into The Groove (snippet) / Do You Feel Loved? / I Feel Love (snippet) Pride (In The Name Of Love) I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For Last Night On Earth Gone Until The End Of The World If God Will Send His Angels Staring At The Sun Staring At The Sun Daydream Believer (Edge Karaoke) Miami / My Mammy (snippet) / Cuba (snippet) Bullet The Blue Sky / Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) (snippet) / America (snippet) Please / Sunday Bloody Sunday (snippet) Where The Streets Have No Name / Playboy Mansion (snippet) encore(s): Discothèque / Discothèque Howie B Hairy B Mix (snippet) If You Wear That Velvet Dress With Or Without You Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me Mysterious Ways One

Zoo-TV Outside Broadcast 1992 (October 21st)
Comment:  First time I ever saw U2 live and had to leave after song 13.  Gotta love the Academy...




Setlist:

1. Zoo Station
2. The Fly
3. Even Better Than The Real Thing
4. Mysterious Ways
5. One / Unchained Melody (snippet)
6. Until The End Of The World
7. New Year's Day
8. Dirty Old Town
9. Tryin' To Throw Your Arms Around The World
10. Angel Of Harlem / Annie's Song (snippet)
11. When Love Comes To Town
12. Satellite Of Love
13. Bad / Old Man (snippet) / All I Want Is You (snippet)
14. Bullet The Blue Sky
15. Running To Stand Still
16. Where The Streets Have No Name
17. Pride (In The Name Of Love)
18. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
19. Stand By Me
encore(s):
20. Desire
21. With Or Without You
22. Love Is Blindness
23. Can't Help Falling In Love

Natasha Paremski - Part III

My musical stalking continues...;). This is my third opportunity to see Natasha play the Ivories. This time around I got to see her play Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 in F minor, Opus 21. According to Wikipedia this was composed in 1830 when Chopin was about 20 years old. Natasha is currently 22 so there you have it. As crazy as it sounds I actually saw her perform this on two consecutive nights. Again I swear I am not stalking her but due to some ticketing snafu's I had tickets on back to back nights.

Some observations...I thought Saturday's performance had a bit more energy. Be it known that I was on the floor for Friday's performance and up and behind her on Saturday. I have determined that front row seats at the symphony aren't worth it. It doesn't do the entire instruments justice, unless of course your our a string fanatic. Either way whether it was my location, my attentiveness, or just my feelings I thought Saturday night was more impressive. One of the reason was seeing the entire length of the keyboard. The distance her hands move to hit certain keys is crazy. It would seem to me that the keys are an extension of her hands. How do you find that one key and hit is just right at the right time? Also there was no crying baby on the second night...which made the solo sound a bit more in tune with the overall production.

You know Americans put a lot of weight and energy into our sporting events whether it be a quarterback shredding of a defense with laser accurate passes, whether it is a pitcher painting the corners, or a basketball star shooting a three pointer at the buzzer and while there are a few great ones who can do this, how many people can play a 30 minute piano concerto, without sheet music to cheat off of, to play with 30 other musicians in perfect time, and do it with seemingly ease. I mean they don't do statistics with musicians but in a Chopin arrangement I bet the pianist is expected to hit 1,000 keys? It is an amazing achievement...plus throw in the personality, the execution, and the translation to make something provide an emotional response in the audience? How many pianist can do that? Maybe 5? 10 at the most? Talking about a one in a million...being able to play a piano like that is awe-inspiring...a achievement like no other. It is too bad that these "athletes" don't get their due. I wonder how much a concert pianist makes per show? Well according to this site it isn't about the money but generally $5,000 - 10,000 per event. So my guess is that Natasha probably does pretty well for herself especially someone who is only 22 years old.

Good stuff...

Colorado Music Festival

Natasha came back to Colorado. Yup I'm a Natasha groupie, print up some t-shirts and club cards...I'm in! Saw her in Colorado back then...saw her again tonight in Boulder. Great show, what intensity, and the way she taps those ivories...WOW. She is coming back in March 2010...will she keep the streak alive with the red high heels? Can't wait....

Placebo - Battle for the Sun

Just can't get into this album. Nothing jumping out at me...so disappointed

Silversun Pickups - Swoon

SSPU's second full album and it delivers. The first couple of songs are vintage. They do go a bit astray but overall a good CD.

Now if I could only see them live...

U2 - No Line on the Horizon

Well I have listened and tried to like this album and it just isn't speaking to me.  There are some decent songs;  No Line on the Horizon, Magnificent, I'll Go Crazy, Cedars of Lebanon, but overall there really isn't anything catchy.  It doesn't flow well.  It just seems like a mixed up album without any focus.  With music the way it is today you really have to have a message and well I guess the experiment was just that...new U2 is better than no new U2 but it would be nice to have a good album.

The Fray

The Fray's sophomore effort worked for me. Some experimenting but for the most part an album with alot of similarity to their first (why mess with something that works?). I think new bands should give their fans what they want and then by their third album they can start to experiment and "grow" as a band. In this respect they can grow with their core audience. That is why I think U2 has always worked. At first they stayed pretty consistent but as they aged they branched out which worked for me because I didn't want the same sound and then hopefully with a newer sound they can pick up some newer listeners (?)

Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight

Okay I have to admit my music taste are all over the map. To be honest I don't really care for the words...I'm just looking for that sound, that beat, that feeling you get when a song changes your emotions. Linkin Park's metal and rap is somewhat fringe for me but overall meteora was a great CD especially if the mood you need is needing some serious octane. So when I was in LA way back when I drove by the band's label and saw that a new album was coming out. Well I don't get excited by too many bands, basically U2 or Garbage is the only bands I wll run out an buy that day. Anyway got the new CD off iTunes. By the way electronic purchases is the way to go. I had an early flight on Tuesday morning and since I was traveling I had no way of getting the CD so I preordered it on iTunes and while I was taking a shower at 4 AM I downloaded the CD to my iPod and away I went. Overall a decent CD with some good overall music...nothing spectacular...their first single is most like their previous CDs. The rap metal songs are good...but the slow songs don't do too much for me. Anyway decent music nothing great.