WNEW | Where Rock Lives

From the Front Row: The Dead at Izod Center 04-28-09; Review, Setlist, Photos

As I pulled into the parking lot with my windows down to hear the heartbeat of the tailgating crowd, I was greeted with the familiar saying “I need a miracle!”. And just like that, I was back in high school – it was like being in a time warp being just as excited as I was years ago, getting ready for the experience of a Dead show. Once you arrive, all you want to do to run out to the parking lot and become part of the scene. At the buzzing community of vendors, friends, and fiends, I saw some interesting stuff outside of the usual unlicensed Grateful Dead and Phish shirts, stickers, memorabilia, hemp necklaces and hand made glass accessories.

One guy prowled the aisles shouting “Look Mom, no hands! 100% hemp beer holder necklaces! Get ‘em while I’m still kinda sober!” while another vendor of glassware showed me a pair of Eyes of the World custom made iron sunglasses comprised of hand carved designs of a globe on one eye, a steal your face symbol on the other with lyrics etched on one side and lighting bolts on the other. And what is the asking price for this piece of art that took over 100 hours to make? $2,000! Who brings $2K (in cash) to a Dead show? “You’d be surprised” he told me. We made our way into the show and the guys started with a ripping version of U.S. Blues that gave us the signal that we were going to get something special tonight.

On-Demand Concert Special: John Mellencamp, Live at the Greek Theater 7/31/08

On July 31, 2008 our friend John Mellencamp put on a spectacular show at California's Greek Theater. Unlike his short set at this year's Farm Aid show, this was a full concert and featured all of his major hits, plus some of the new tracks off his 2008 album Life, Death, Love and Freedom.

Click the play button below to hear the full show, front-to-back without commercial interruption.

Here's the setlist from 7/31/08 - Greek Theater:

Pink Houses, My Sweet Love, Check it Out, Minutes to Memories, Longest Days, Troubled Land, If I Die Sudden, Crumblin' Down, Jack & Diane

Enjoy!

Being for the Benefit of Operation USA

Jackson Browne, who for 30 years has been involved with countless benefit concerts around the world, is once again using his name, his voice and his guitar to help others.

On November 29th, he and his band will take a break from supporting his critically-acclaimed Time The Conqueror album to stage a hurricane relief benefit concert at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. Proceeds from the concert will be given to Operation USA's ongoing relief of people in the U.S. Gulf Coast, Cuba and Haiti.

Recognizing that this year's hurricane season has been the second most destructive in history, and that many relief and health agencies are at a breaking point, Browne has organized the concert to generate funds that are earmarked for immediate distribution.

Joining him on stage for the show, entitled Jackson Browne and Friends: A Benefit for Hurricane Relief, will be Bonnie Raitt, Joan Baez and Ry Cooder, to name a few.

At $75 a pop, it's a relatively inexpensive way to see rock and roll legends and, more importantly, generate some good karma for the world.

If you'll be in Southern California on the 29th, go see the show. You can get tix here or via jacksonbrowne.com

I Was Also There For Chopin's First Gig

Around upstate New York, where I lived and worked for two separate sentences of about four years each, there's the legend about the first concert the Police ever played in Syracuse.

It's true that it took place on October 24th, 1978 at a now-defunct club called the Firebarn. It's true that it was part of the Police's very first tour of the US. It's true that the band toured about the Northeast in a Ford Econoline over the course of about a month, hitting NY, Philly, Boston and, surprisingly, Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

But, just as it's not true that everyone born between the years of 1944 and 1954 was at Woodstock, it's not true that everyone who claimed to see the Police in Syracuse in 1978 actually saw that first concert. If it were true, then it would have been 200,000 people who saw them, not the 20 who were actually there.

The Police did a little better a few days earlier, on this day 30 years ago, when they kicked off their maiden U.S. voyage at C.B.G.B. in New York. Save for some visa issues for Sting and Andy Summers and a bit of an airplane delay, all went relatively smoothly. Legend has it that they walked into the club, already full with 350 or so people, plugged in and ripped into Roxanne.

Fast forward to this past August, when they closed their 30th anniversary reunion which grossed $340 million dollars. Even at today's prices, that's that's enough to by 226,000 Ford Econolines ... or enough for everyone who saw them at the Firebarn back in '78!

At the Corner of Zeppelin and Carnegie

If you've ever visited New York but haven't been to Carnegie Hall, let me tell you how to get there: practice, practice, practice.

OK, so it's an old joke. But, really: if you've visited New York and haven't seen a concert at Carnegie, then skip that ride to the top of the Empire State Building the next time and see a concert at one of the greatest concert halls on the planet. Polish Klezmer music fused with hip-hop? Take the chance 'cuz there's nothing like hearing music in an acoustically perfect musical palace.

I got to see a couple of concerts there while living in New York in the '90's: I got free tickets to see the National Symphony Orchestra perform Charles Ives (because I worked for a few weeks in their ticket sales department).

A year or so later, my wife and I splurged on a pair of balcony tickets to see Keith Jarrett play there with Jack DeJohnnette and Gary Peacock. It's an understatement to say that it was a life-changing, mind-blowing experience.

Given the relative mellowness of my Carnegie Hall experience, it's hard for me to fathom hearing a rock and roll band play there. But, indeed, many minds have been blown from that stage over the years by rock bands, including Led Zeppelin who played two sets there on this date in 1969.

According to a review written by J. Harris (and quoted on the Zeppelin website), "...though the management was uptight at half the audience dancing on top of their seats, and tried desparately to control the encores, the group managed to pull off one of the most exciting performances ever."

Included in the Zeppelin set list were Good Times Bad Times, Communication Breakdown, I Can't Quit You Baby, Heartbreaker, Dazed and Confused, You Shook Me, a Jimmy Page solo piece, White Summer and a 25-minute John Bonham drum solo.

True to form for a "sophisticated" concert hall, there was actually a program printed. You can see it (along with some other memorabilia from the show) on this page of the Zeppelin website.

And here's a video of How Many More Times, a tune they also did at the Carnegie shows:

Ringing in the New Year With Family, Friends, and Jim James ...

If you remember, last week I spent a whole lot of time detailing some of the extra special "treats" available this upcoming Halloween. But as much as October 31, 2008 has to offer, it won't be the only holiday bringing some familiar favorites to music fans everywhere this year. In fact, it was Matt Simpson's piece last week concerning My Morning Jacket and its post-New Year's afterparty that got me started on the whole project in the first place. So without further ado, here are some of the options music lovers will have to choose from to cap off 2008 on New Year's Eve.

Providing another reminder as to why it rocks to live in New York City, My Morning Jacket will bring its three-hour-plus concert spectacle to Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve. Based on past experiences, it's safe to say Jim James and Co. won't be at all afraid to shell out some surprises -- the band's 2006 NYE show in San Francisco featured renditions of Lionel Richie's All Night Long, Prince's I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man and AC/DC's Highway to Hell -- something that will surely only add to their one-of-a-kind, almost overwhelming standard setlist. The only potential downside of spending your night with the MMJ crew? Jim James stops for nothing, not even a ball drop.

If you don't feel like shelling out the cash for My Morning Jacket's extravaganza, no worries, there'll be plenty of other noteworthy concerts going down in the Big Apple on December 31st. The Disco Biscuits will do some serious jamming to cap off not only the year, but their five-night stint at Nokia Theater, while New York's own Gov't Mule will look to hold down Hammerstein Ballroom.

Trick-or-Treat-or-Concert-Seat?

Believe it or not, Halloween is less than two months away, and whether or not you enjoy the idea of trick-or-treating and costume parties, you can't help but get caught up in some aspect of the fall holiday. Hell, there are even activities for the music fans. And no, I'm not talking about sitting in your room with the lights off listening to Thriller.

This upcoming Halloween offers a number of concert opportunities that will surely make any music fan's mouth water. From Los Angeles to New York, Las Vegas to Philadelphia, October 31st will bring holiday-flavored festivals and concerts to anyone looking for a bit of mysterious music. Just be sure to bring your costume.

Alright, enough with the lame clichés, time to get down to the nitty-gritty details. Halloween's most appealing music-related event is easily the HARD Haunted Mansion in downtown Los Angeles, California. Produced by the same folks who have brought us the HARD Summer Music Festival and HARD New Years Eve, the Haunted Mansion will offer an electro-friendly lineup featuring such high-profile acts as Justice, Soulwax, Simian Mobile Disco, and Crystal Castles. Admission requires a ticket and a costume, but when you're getting down to D.A.N.C.E., will it really matter if a mask is covering your face?

What band fits the Halloween mold more than Of Montreal? Between the band's often mysterious sounds, numerous costume changes, and crazy onstage antics, nearly every one of the Georgia outfit's concerts is essentially a Halloween party in itself, so one can only imagine whan an actual Of Montreal show on Halloween would be like. Well, folks in Philadelphia will have their oppurtunity when the Kevin Barnes-led group performs at the Electric Factory on All Saints Eve.

Just up the road, the Big Apple will play host to a number of concerts on October 31st. The Grammy-award-winning Café Tacuba will offer multi-genre styles and sounds to Terminal 5, while concert promoter Todd Patrick will offer Matt & Kim, DMBQ, and Ponytail as part of his Big Halloween Bash at the Danbro Studios Warehouse. But if you're looking for music to fit the night's theme, you may want to head over to B.B. King's and check out punk legends the Misfits. At least there face makeup will be plentiful.

Other notable Halloween concerts in the U.S. include Stone Temple Pilots at the Verizon Wireless Music Center in Pehlam, Alabama -- lets keep the 'Scott Weiland doesn't need a costume' jokes to a minimum -- Alkaline Trio and Rise Against at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, and Kings of Leon, The Stills, The Whigs and We Are Scientists at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom.

If Halloween night doesn't quench your thirst, then you can always head to Vegas the following evening for the Fabulous Festival. Armin Van Buuren, MSTRKRFT, and Crystal Castles will be just some of the acts included on the all-day bill.

Then again, you could always just head over to London for Release The Bats. But that's an entirely different story and, well, do we really want to go there?

August 15th: A Banner Day for Concerts Past

Today, we're going to let the pictures speak for themselves.

On this day in 1965, the Beatles played in front of 56,000 people at Shea Stadium:

On this day in 1969, Richie Havens helped open Woodstock:

On this day in 1991, Paul Simon staged his solo Concert in Central Park:

Rancid Stops by Washington, DC

By the time most punk bands hit their second decade of existence, they are an afterthought, no longer capable of capturing the music or fire that used to drive kids to throw themselves into mosh pits or surf on top of a packed crowd.

Only the true greats stand the test of time. The Clash, the Ramones and the Replacements are among the few whose music and message have caught the ears and minds of multiple generations, and who even today, remain as relevant and as important as they ever did. Nowadays, in an era in which the punk genre is more associated with MTV and Warped Tour than talents and agenda, quantity has overtaken quality, leaving the prospects of finding a good punk rock show few and far between.

But fortunately, there is still one great band standing, a group of four musicians who have offered captivating styles and sounds for more than 17 years. And if their performance at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC last night proved anything, it's the fact that Rancid is as good as ever.

In the wake of Operation Ivy's break up in 1991, the band's guitarist Tim Armstrong, and bassist Matt Friedman wandered around the East Bay, California music scene for several months before eventually settling down to form a band called Rancid. With Brett Reed on the drums, the group quickly made an impression for their catchy pop-punk style, offering a mix of stellar musicality and enthusiastic, sing-a-long vocals. By the time Rancid recorded its self-titled debut in 1993, Lars Frederiksen had entered the fold on lead guitar, and the rest is history. Some 15 years, five albums and one drummer later, Rancid has given the punk community one of the more talented and influential outfits ever. Their Clash-like style of Life Won't Wait made reggae-infused punk cool again, while ...And Out Come the Wolves, widely considered one of the best punk albums in the last 15 years, has too many hits to count. What's more, their personal label, Hellcat Records, has not only given a voice to many of the genre's best up-and-comers, but also gave the great Joe Strummer one last hurrah.

Needless to say, Rancid has done more for the music as a whole than most bands can ever dream of. But still, after 17 years, Armstrong, Frederiksen, Friedman, and newcomer Branden Steineckert are still alive and kicking. With a new studio album, the band's seventh, scheduled for release sometime in September and an ongoing North American tour, the four-piece band is giving old-timers a reminder, and kids at glimpse, of just how tremendous, and how fun, punk rock can be.

MSG: Close Encounters of The N.E.R.D. Kind

"Are y'all ready to glow in the dark?"

On an early Tuesday evening, the 2,600 or so hip-hop fans inhabiting The Rose Theater were restless and a little hesitant. They had come to be transported to a new world by the space-hop collective of Lupe Fiasco, N.E.R.D. and Kanye West, and they would settle for nothing less than a virtual abduction.

And who could blame them? The Glow in the Dark tour, one of the most visually spectacular and audacious concert performances starring the most visually spectacular and audacious hip-hop artists was ending its 5-month run with back-to-back shows at New York's Madison Square Garden Rose Theatre.

Over the past few months, everyone's head the buzz about the futuristic, mind-blowing spaceship/alien world set, seens dozens of low-quality (but intriguingly mysterious) images of previous shows, heard about the legendary fiasco at Bonnarroo, and they (myself included) had built up some very high expectations. It was to be Mars or Bust...

The Rose Theatre is the ideal venue for a concert space opera; completely enclosed, illumination-controlled, intimate by stadium proportions, and even shaped like a flying saucer to boot. As a mere WNEW.com junior author, I was not able to secure full press passes just yet, but with a little cleverly feigned confusion (Section K is right beneath the stage right?) and the old 'pretend-to-be-distracted-while-typing-a-text-message-and-accidentally-wander-to-the-front-of-the-stage' trick, I was able to post myself in an excellent mid-floor position to experience the Invasion ...

Lupe Fiasco's and N.E.R.D.'s sets were both impressive and very high energy, but my memory (and I'm sure that of the rest of the audience) of their performances was instantly obliterated as soon as the lights went dark and Kanye's set commenced. A single, central screen illuminated a slow crawl through hyperspace, and the audience exploded. Was this a Kanye concert or a new Star Wars movie? The answer was ... both.

Star Wars has been called the archetypal 'space opera', an epic drama set in a futuristic galaxy far, far away. Clearly inspired by Wagner's idea of the gesamkunstwerk, Kanye takes the concept one step further, literally fusing an intergalatic drama with his operatically orchestrated beats and rhymes. (There was MAD timpani, son!)

Like Elton John's Rocketman, Kanye is lost out in deep space, and has crash-landed on a world that could have almost been pulled straight out of Le Petit Prince; one shaped by an intimidating, alien landscape and inhabited by strange and dangerous creatures, including a Godzilla-like dragon and a bevy of metallic and cybernetic temptresses. Completely alone, Kanye must find a way to fix his spaceship, fend off the space dragon, and resist the seductions of the deep space sirens.

Like Prince Pippin's trials to make his life 'mean something', or Fritz's quest for 'the distant sound', Kanye's space travel is his search for transcendence, meaning and enlightenment through music. But unlike Pippin or Fritz, Kanye realizes in time that the true enlightenment lies not in the stars or in a galaxy far far away, but right at home.

Homecoming, one of the most cludgy and skippable tracks off the Graduation album, takes on a whole new meaning in the context of this story, and was one of the highest-energy and most joyous songs of the whole concert. Only in this environment and this context could Homecoming incite a bigger, more boisterous response than the usual club riot-inciting Stronger.

Kanye closed out the show with Touch The Sky, with Lupe skipping out from backstage to join him. The story's happy ending had come with Homecoming, and Touch the Sky was just the ending credits to the movie. And like a movie, once the curtain came down and the house lights came on, the show was over and everyone was gone. The abductees were returned to Earth, safe and sound, but with a memory that something special, something extraordinary, had happened.   

Thank You, George Harrison

On this day in 1971, George Harrison brought a group of his friends to Madison Square Garden to perform the very first benefit concert to happen within the realm of rock and roll music.

Rock and roll legends like Eric Clapton, Leon Russell and Bob Dylan joined George on stage to perform tunes like My Sweet Lord (last.fm), Blowin' In The Wind (last.fm) and It Don't Come Easy.

Forty thousand people saw one of the two shows performed on this day 37 years ago. The concert raised nearly a quarter million dollars for relief in Bangladesh; the three-disc album sold millions; the film of the event brought much more. To this day, sales of the record and the DVD continue to aid Bangladeshi relief.

It was one of the truly great humanitarian efforts to come out of rock and roll.

Today, the benefit performance has become as much as part of the rock and roll landscape as Converse sneakers and pink Telecasters.

Like a menu at a Chinese restaurant, benefit performances come in a few different combinations. There's the benefit album which may be created to aid a specific cause or person in need (such as USA for Africa or the Victoria Williams Sweet Relief project) and there's the benefit concert, put together by a benevolent performer like Bob Geldof or Jackson Browne, again designed to aid a specific person or cause.

For those of us who've been around rock and roll for awhile, there's always a temptation to get a little cynical about these things. Personally, I've scratched my head about some of the causes and benefits that have come from the hearts and minds of pop musicians.

But, in the end, whether it be well thought out or not, there's never harm done when it comes with a genuine spirit of giving to another human being. Within the world of rock and roll, we have George to thank for showing us the way to get started.

MGMT and the Ting Tings, Waiting in Line: The Review

Two of the most buzzed-about bands in the indie music world

Plus ...

A free concert in the hippest venue in the heart of Hipsterdom

Plus ...

Did I mention it was a FREE concert?

Equals ...

A scene akin to the most colorful and exuberant refugee camp that you've never seen.

The JellyNYC Pool Parties at the McCarren Park Pool are always well-attended events (partly due to the high-quality lineup of bands such as The Black Keys, Wilco and Sonic Youth, and also due to the fact that they are very free) and feature 'like being in middle school again' activities such as Dodgeball and Four Square. But when it was announced that The Ting Tings and MGMT were going to be sharing the stage on the 25th of July, it was clear that even a venue as large as McCarren Park was going to be pushed to its limit.

I knew that I had to arrive early in order to guarantee that I would make it into the show, and so made the extraordinary effort of waking up at 9AM and heading out the park. Surely that far in advance I would be the first one there. I mean, it's not like I was trying to get an iPhone. Oh, how wrong I was. The saga began:

10:30 AM

I joined the already-lengthy line around 10AM and mentally prepared myself for the wait to come. Spirits were high, and in sporting fashion, everyone did a good job of making the wait an event in-and-of itself. There were many games of Keep-Me-Up using the oversized beach balls provided to us by the corporate sponsor, and there was copious mingling and flirting among the hipster herd.

1:00 PM

As the day wore on into the heat of the afternoon, patience started to wane and tempers started to flare as the outside temperature rose and the lines only stretched longer and longer. The Keep-Me-Up games devolved into something much more aggressive and destructive. The enmity between the two separate lines, the North and the South, heightened and a mere mention of the other line would inspire comments such as "Oh the North? I hate those guys so much."

2:30 PM

There was clearly a rift growing between those who had arrived early in the morning and those who had just wandered into the line later in the day, and as the threat of line cutting increased, some were inspired to threaten violence on those who would try to commit the cardinal sin of cutting in line. On the 'Southside' this guy vigilantly kept watch over the line threatening all suspicious-looking bystanders with 'If you cut the line, Ill cut you.'

2:45 PM

Fortunately, right before inter-directional violence broke out, the chain link fence was loosed and the giddy hordes of hipsters poured into the pool; with not many stopping to look back at those less-fortunate still stuck on the other side of the wall.

Gazing back, I only hoped that the concert itself would be as half as exciting as the line had been. (It was pretty good; the Ting Tings definitely took the cake.)