New blog - Merry Picnic

You might notice that this is the first time I've posted here in over a month. I started law school this year, so it's been a bit difficult for me to post as much as when I was working as a journalist. My boyfriend Garrett and I had been talking for some time about running a blog together, so last month we started Merry Picnic, a music and 20-something lifestyle blog that covers a lot of the same topics as The Freesia Fix but expands to more things we like to do as 20-somethings living in Connecticut. Check it out here: http://merrypicnic.blogspot.com/.

I don't know if this means the end of The Freesia Fix, but it does mean that I'm putting more of my effort into the shared blog. I started The Freesia Fix in 2008 for my online journalism class at UConn. What began as a class assignment turned into something I really enjoyed contributing to, so I am leaving this link up with all the archives. I hope my posts were helpful to some of you, and I really hope you enjoyed reading.

Thank you for reading,
Freesia

Review: Lady Gaga in Hartford 9/16

A Lady Gaga concert is a theatrical experience from the moment you pull into the venue area. Lots of costumes. Wigs. Caution tape. Awesome. I got to the XL Center, formerly the Hartford Civic Center, a little before 7 after parking, and the scene was quite a spectacle. Then again, so was the show.

With just two albums under her belt, it was an excellent time to see Gaga. She played all my favorite songs, which means she played almost all her songs. She had intricate sets with light-up jungle gyms, a smoky car that was really a piano, neon signs, a religious statute dripping blood and lots of ways to drop into/pop out from underneath the stage. Between songs, screens would go up with house music playing for Gaga and her dancers to change costumes, and you'd expect nothing less.

The entire production was incredible, and Gaga is incredible live. Her vocals really shine through when she's performing live, and she's able to take her songs further, giving us an extended version of "Teeth" and really hitting the high notes, showing off on the piano during "Speechless" and a new, very dramatic "You and I" and adding some of her political views - voicing her support of repealing Don't Ask, Don't Tell. She thanked the fans for her recent VMA awards and asked for their approval, mainly for them to scream when she asked if she they thought she was sexy, several times, noting that she likes to abuse that part of the show because she was made fun of everyday in school. Playing both her gay advocate and "Mama Monster" roles, she said the Monster Ball was a place where you could be whoever you want to be and told her fans that they all belong and to celebrate gay pride.

Gaga had her heart ripped out and brought out the fake blood during "Monster" and left the stage to come out with her fire-sparking bra during "Paparazzi." That seemed to be the end of the show, but the lights didn't go on, and the cameras focused on the fans for some time in anticipation of the encore: "Bad Romance."

Here's the set list:

Dance in the Dark
Just Dance
Beautiful, Dirty, Rich
The Fame
LoveGame
Boys Boys Boys
Money Honey
Telephone
Speechless
You and I
So Happy I Could Die
Monster
Teeth
Alejandro
Poker Face
Paparazzi

"Encore": Bad Romance

Review: I Am Festival 2010

(We Are Scientists)

This was the 5th-annual I Am Festival, and even though I only went to one other, I'm willing to say this was the best one yet. Lots of really good bands, an extended event area, more vendors than last year and beautiful weather made this I Am Fest much better than last year's. And every year, it's been free. The Brooklyn-based We Are Scientists made for a great ending to the night with lots of indie dance rock tunes. Really good news: Manic Productions is bringing We Are Scientists back to Connecticut on Oct. 9 at Daniel Street in Milford. More information here: http://manicproductions.org/shows/455


(Mates of State)

I actually mostly went to I Am Fest this year because of Mates of State, who were amazing as usual, playing lots of their catchy pop tunes and filling in with heartfelt covers of Tom Waits' "Long Way Home" and Daniel Johnston's "True Love Will Find You in the End." Some songs included extra members with a guitar and trumpet, others were just the duo and at the end, with two songs left, they threw in some mixed beats for "Laura," a Girls cover, then "My Only Offer."


(O'Death)

O'Death was really good. I hadn't really listened to much of their stuff before the show, but they had one of those sets that had to convert new fans. Because they performed later in the day, the crowd was really filling in. According to the I Am Fest Facebook event page, O'Death was the first band to confirm, and this was their first show back in Connecticut after a hiatus. I'm glad they're back together because they rock. Really cool indie folk rock sound.


(The Hempsteadys)

Other band I was able to catch after I got there at 4 were The Hempsteadys (a big group playing some cool, reggae-ska), Fake Babies, Darlings (very true for their name, they had some nice, catchy but still raw, garage-sounding pop) and Eula (a neat band from Milford with steady surfer riffs and punk/noise sound).

Here's what I have of set lists for the two main acts.

We Are Scientists:
(Didn't catch the first song because I forgot I was keeping track. Please let me know if I missed anything else!)
Impatience
I Don't Bite
Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt
Rules Don't Stop
This Scene is Dead
Inaction
Chick Lit
Pittsburgh
It's a Hit
The Great Escape
Ambition
Jack & Ginger
After Hours

Mates of State:
Re-Arrange Us
Get Better
True Love Will Find You in the End (Daniel Johnston Cover)
Whiner's Bio
Think Long
You Are Free
Long Way Home (Tom Waits Cover)
For the Actor
At Least I Have You
Now
Ha Ha
Laura (Girls Cover)
My Only Offer

I Am Fest tomorrow!

(Photo I took of Mates of State performing at All Points West in 2008)

Just sharing my excitement for I Am Festival tomorrow and updating this post with the schedule. If you haven't heard about it yet, I Am Fest is a free concert happening tomorrow (Saturday, Sept. 11) on the New London Waterfront Park featuring We Are Scientists, Mates of State, O'Death, Darlings, Eula, and lots more bands.

This is the 5th annual I Am Festival, and the organizers have made this a really amazing event. Last year I saw Deerhoof, Free Energy and The Drums, and in past years, when I hadn't gone, they brought Girl Talk and Matt & Kim. "A production of the New London Music Festival with generous support from the Frank Loomis Palmer Fund, the City of New London, Kitchings Productions, DNLA and New London Main Street," according to the event flier, I Am Fest is free, which is the best part.

Parking is available in the municipal lots once you get near the waterfront.

The schedule below is copied and pasted from the I Am Fest Facebook event page. For more information, go here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=116435945078036

MAIN STAGE
--------------------------------------------------------
9:30 We Are Scientists
8:00 Mates of State
6:40 O’Death
5:30 Darlings
4:15 The Hempsteadys
3:00 Gone For Good
1:30 Llama Tsunami & The Without Helmet

SECOND STAGE
--------------------------------------------------------
7:20 The Stepkids
6:10 Straight To VHS
5:00 Fake Babies
3:45 Eula
2:15 MiniBoone
12:45 The Facelifters

GREEN & GOLDEN DJ STAGE
--------------------------------------------------------
DJ sets by The Swagger Jackers, Rob Guess, Frank Lo Chumzilla, EULA, DJ Sir Round Sound and Zo Fresh! With a special "Stoopid Animals" performance by Chumzilla!

Some things to look forward to at Jorgensen this year

(Pink Martini. Photo from pinkmartini.com.)

Tickets went on sale this week for all the fall performances at Jorgensen on the UConn campus. As an undergraduate living on campus, I took advantage of the student discount all the time. Now, I'm going back for both nostalgia's sake and because there are some great acts that don't come around here often.

I actually just got my tickets to Pink Martini on Nov. 6 and Rufus Wainwright, who's performing Dec. 10-11. I think the last time Pink Martini performed close to Connecticut, the concert was in New Jersey and pretty expensive. I definitely need to see them for their orchestral music that really blends everything you want from jazz, Latin, classical and pop for playing around your house, in the car, and while studying. It's sure to be an amazing show.

The Jorgensen fall schedule is as follows:
Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Oct. 15
Pink Martini Nov. 6
The Seasons Project: Venice Baroque Orchestra Nov. 9
Michael J. Fox Nov. 10
Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Nov. 12
Raj Patel: Stuffed and Starved Nov. 15
Merchants of Bollywood Nov. 19 – 20
Boston Pops Holiday Concert Dec. 4
Rufus Wainwright Dec. 10 – 11

For more information, go to the Jorgensen website: http://jorgensen.uconn.edu/

September: The month of choices! (I Am Festival with We Are Scientists and Mates of State and Wolf Den Shows with They Might Be Giants)

Now that I'm officially a law student, I really have to budget my concerts - because of both time and money constraints. As luck would have it, there are some great (even free) deals going down in September (not including Lady Gaga in Hartford on Sept. 16, which I'm really excited about). Also as luck would have it, some would be on the same days.

I will start with Saturday, Sept. 11, the date of I Am Festival in New London and The Zombies at Mohegan Sun. Both are free.


(Photo of We Are Scientists from their Myspace page.)

I Am Festival just announced on Facebook this afternoon that We Are Scientists are headlining. This is after the already pretty sweet lineup of Mates of State, O'Death, Darlings and Fake Babies. The flier says that there will be "many more" bands playing, and if past I Am Fests were any indication, I kind of figured this one would be pretty good. I'll admit that I was a little on the fence before, though, because choosing between The Zombies, with some of my favorite songs, and Mates of State, one of my favorite bands, was a tough choice. But add in more bands and the awesome setting that I Am Fest is, I'm going with I Am Fest. Last year we saw Deerhoof, Free Energy and The Drums - for free! I can't believe how much Free Energy has blown up over the past year, so that show was a steal. I'm still kicking myself for missing Girl Talk and Matt & Kim performances at an earlier I Am Fest. I'm not sure where I was then.

Anyway, I Am Festival happens Saturday, Sept. 11 at the Waterfront Park in New London. There's municipal parking in the area, and the stage is right on the waterfront, which makes it really cool. It looks like they're still updating the lineup and adding more info, so check out their Facebook page for more info. I'll update my blog as soon as I can when I find out more.

And still, if you're closer to Mohegan Sun and a bigger Zombies fan, I say go check out the show. It's free. There are actually a number of not-too-shabby free shows in the Wolf Den coming up, including Fuel on Friday, Sept. 3 and Augustana on Sept. 5. Check out the schedule here: http://mohegansun.com/entertainment/wolfden.html?page=1&. And that brings me to the next conundrum that I've worked out recently.


(Photo of They Might Be Giants from their Myspace Page.)

They Might Be Giants are playing a free fan appreciation show at the Wolf Den on Sept. 25. The show starts at 8, but the Wolf Den website suggests arriving early because seating is limited. Also, the show is 21+.

I've decided I'm definitely going to be there, but I have to note that I wasn't exactly sure about going because it's the same night as REO Speedwagon playing at the Durham Fair. REO Speedwagon's not free because fair admission is $15, but it's a pretty good deal when you figure that's the cost of local agricultural fair admission in general, sometimes not even including big headliners. Plus, I love the Durham fair for all its deep-fried treats and lime rickeys and wanted to go to the fair anyway. I might still go during the weekend, but listening to more They Might Be Giants, I decided that show would be a lot of fun. Also, my boyfriend pointed out that there will be fewer occasions to see They Might Be Giants for free than REO Speedwagon for $15. But if you're an REO Speedwagon fan and able to make the fair, definitely go. Here's the info for that show and the fair: http://www.durhamfair.com/ShowsHeadliners.html

Review: Tom Petty and Crosby Stills and Nash at the Meadows 8/17

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Crosby, Stills & Nash gave great performances Tuesday night. Both played lots of hits, got the crowd going and showed why they've had staying power, churning out several classics over the years.

CSN got the concert started, and they really felt like a double headliner, not an opening act. The concert was a little later than usual - started at 8 - so there were a lot of people already inside, and it was dark, so CSN could feel like a headliner. They played "Bluebird" and went into "Deja Vu" and got more crowd approval deeper into the set with "Southern Cross" going into "Almost Cut My Hair."

Here's the CSN setlist:
Woodstock (Joni Mitchell cover)
Military Madness (Graham Nash cover)
Long Time Gone
Bluebird (Buffalo Springfield cover)
Deja Vu
Ruby Tuesday (The Rolling Stones cover)
Our House
Southern Cross
Almost Cut My Hair
Wooden Ships
Encore: For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield cover)

It took Tom Petty just about an hour to go on after CSN ended, which felt like a really long time. As the crowd grew restless, though, the crew kept sound checking, and I think they may have changed the camera for the big screens because the stage - Tom Petty, mainly - had a soft glow and looked almost holy in the screen picture. It was a pretty cool effect. If it wasn't on purpose, it worked. The set list worked in that it included the more popular, crowd-pleasing hits - I think I felt the cloud form on the lawn during "Last Dance with Mary Jane" - but saved room for some stuff off their new album, Mojo, which sounds like classic Tom Petty except maybe a little jammier, with more guitar riffs and fewer catchy choruses. After the Mojo interlude, the band went right back to playing their hits with a light version of "Learning to Fly," complete with a singalong toward the end. Then they brought the pace back up with "Don't Come Around Here No More" and ended with "Refugee before coming back to an encore of "Running Down A Dream and "American Girl."

Here is close to a complete Tom Petty set list:
Listen to Her Heart
You Don't Know How It Feels
I Won't Back Down
Free Fallin'
(Not sure what song was after this. I was getting really into the concert and didn't know the song off the top of my head and didn't catch lyrics to look it up.)
Mary Jane's Last Dance
(Also not sure on this next song.)
Breakdown
Jefferson Jericho Blues
Good Enough
Running Man's Bible
I Should Have Known It
Learning to Fly
Don't Come Around Here No More
Refugee
Encore: Runnin' Down a Dream
American Girl

On a side note from the concert, I have to say that the worst thing to happen after a concert - with tons of heavy traffic - did. There was a fire right behind the parking lot at the Meadows, now the Comcast Theater in Hartford. Luckily, I got out of the concert pretty quickly and pretty much ran to my car. Strangely enough, there was another fire in Hartford at a three-family house, and that was in the news, but not this fire. So I don't have any other information on this fire. If anyone who reads this finds more info, I'd be curious to know what exactly happened.


(Picture of the fire)

After running to my car, I drove from my parking spot to the line of cars trying to get out and noticed a pretty big fire toward the back of the lot. Nervously, everyone was pushing to get out. Still no sign of fire trucks or sirens, I got to the traffic light and main road by the time the first fire truck came. We opened our windows to ask the other cars in traffic if they were near the fire and could see what happened. One guy said he was two rows away from it and it was on the tracks. Imagine how scary it must have been for people parked in that area. I'd be terrified the fire would spread to my car. Also, it formed a pretty big cloud of smoke, so it was probably hard to breathe right next to the fire. I was glad I got out of there, too, because with the fire trucks coming in, cars would definitely be blocked. I hope everyone who attended the concert had a good time and got out safely without too much delay.

Review: Film Night at Tanglewood with John Williams and the Boston Pops 8/14

Movie music is epic. It brings emotion and momentum to countless scenes, and it's fun to hear live while listening to narratives about how the music added to great movies. That's what Film Night at Tanglewood is. This was my second time going to one (I went two years ago), and it was fantastic. We had John Williams conducting the Boston Pops and Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies hosting. Two years ago we got surprise Steven Spielberg, but no such luck this time. Still, Osborne was very informative and extremely engaging. As the Pops performed, movie clips played on the screen, and in-between songs, Osborne would give us some tidbits on the movie music was from or about movie music in general. For example, there was a time when movie music wasn't really respected among composers, and people who wrote music for movies were looked down upon. Also, music in movies used to come from a source within the movie, like a player piano or a band in the background, not from no where like it is today. Today, you wouldn't imagine a movie without music.

The Pops played a set of "Hollywood's Golden Age" with music by different composers from and about movies and after an intermission played "Celebrating Steven Spielberg" with music by Williams. They sounded great and as they flowed through each movement, I felt like I was experiencing the movies themselves.

List of what each set included:

"Hollywood's Golden Age"
Hooray for Hollywood - Whiting (arr. Williams)
Suite from "Sunset Boulevard" - Waxman
Scene d'Amour from "Vertigo" - Herrmann
Forest Meeting and March from "Spartacus" - North
Chinatown - Goldsmith
Lawrence of Arabia - Jarre

"Celebrating Steven Spielberg"
Two Selections from "Jaws" (Theme and Barrel Chase Sequence)
Excerpts from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind"
Two selections with the Buti Young Artists Chorus (Exultate Justi from "Empire of the Sun" and Dry Your Tears, Afrika from "Amistad")
March from "1941"
Theme from "Schindler's List"
A Tribute to Steven Spielberg (Medley with music from "Close Encounters," "Jaws, "Jurassic Park," "Munich," and "ET."

That was all that was listed in the program, but Williams and the Pops gave us one more, which I was very excited about: "Indiana Jones."

Review: MGMT at Mountain Park 8/11

Compared to the Flaming Lips show last month at Mountain Park, which left behind globs of confetti, MGMT was a much smaller, less festive occasion. It might have felt smaller because of the smaller and younger crowd, and because we could still see those globs of confetti, but it was very fitting. Not counting the 15-year-olds trying to mosh next to me during MGMT's more popular dance hits "Electric Feel" and "Time To Pretend," this concert atmosphere was a bit more relaxed, perfect for MGMT's newer, dreamier, songs, where we could just stand back and enjoy the sound. They started with "The Youth," which was a very good choice, and went into a more upbeat, surfier "Flash Delirium." They alternated between the slower, more ambient songs we could sway to and the fast-paced songs we could dance to, playing pretty much everything off Oracular Spectacular and Congratulations. We even got "Kids" at the end of their set.

Seeing a band when they only have two full albums out is the perfect time to see them. Think about it. You know a lot of their songs, and you know they'll play your favorites. And you know they'll have a longer set than when there was only one album out (cough, Ting Tings with their 40-minute album when I saw them last year, cough). MGMT gave us two fake endings, saying that "Kids" was the last song then leaving us with "Congratulations" and coming back with "The Handshake" and ending finally with "I Found a Whistle."

I tried to keep track of the set list so I could make set lists a regular part of my blog, but there were some lyrics that were difficult to hear or understand, and it's pretty much imperative that bands jam during live performances, so some songs kind of blended together. The blending together was very MGMT, though, so the crowd kept swaying and dancing. I included what I think is a complete set list at the bottom of this post, so if you see any mistakes, please let me know. I think it's mostly complete because we got most of Oracular Spectacular and Congratulations on this list.


The Violens opened and met everyone at the merch table after their set with handouts for a download of "Summer Mixtape," which is literally a mixtape, on their website: http://violens.net/. I actually just downloaded it and am listening to it as we speak. Definitely give it a listen. The Violens were really fun to watch, and I was able to recognize some songs from their Myspace page including "Acid Reign and "Already Over." They're an excellent band to pair with MGMT on a tour because you kind of get that MGMT psychedelic dance feel with their stuff. There's lots of cool sound effects, dreamy backup and leading vocals and interesting piano overtures. And they're really nice guys. Violens: A group of pretty nice guys.

Here's what I think is a complete set list for MGMT since I'm trying to post set lists now. If I missed something, please let me know. (I'm trying to keep track of songs, but bands jam out when they perform live, and songs blend together, so it's kind of hard. If you can help, please do!)

"The Youth"
"Flash Delirium"
"Of Moons, Birds & Monsters"
"Weekend Wars"
"Song for Dan Treacy"
"Time to Pretend"
"It's Working"
"Future Reflections" (I think)
"Something's Missing"
"Electric Feel"
"Brian Eno"
"Pieces of What"
"Siberian Breaks"
"Destrokk"
"Kids"
"Congratulations"
Encore:
"The Handshake"
"I Found a Whistle"

Cool things in our area this week - MGMT tonight, John Williams and the Boston Pops do Film Night Saturday and Tom Petty next Tuesday

Figured I'd do a refresher post for some cool things coming up. (Also, some reviews we have to look forward to this week.)

First, there's MGMT tonight. This post is probably dated 8/10 because that's when I hit "New Post", but because I'm finally writing it after midnight, it's already 8/11, and that's when MGMT is playing at Mountain Park in Holyoke, Mass. Tickets are $30 plus fees still available, and I've heard lots of radio ads for it as of late. Show starts at 7. Here is the Mountain Park link: http://www.iheg.com/mountain_park_main.asp.

Next, we've got John Williams and the Boston Pops performing a Film Night on Saturday at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. I went to a Film Night two years ago and Spielberg showed up and gave commentary on the music and how it related to his movies. It was super cool. This will be John Williams' 30th summer at Tanglewood, so it's bound to be good. I'm willing to bet that we'll get some surprise guest appearances too. Tickets range from $21 to $121 (we got the $21 lawn seats), and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. The info and ticket link are on this page: http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/content1.jsp?id=42700020.

Then on Tuesday, Aug. 17, I'm going to see Tom Petty with Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Meadows, or Comcast Theater in Hartford. Ticket prices range from $29 to $119 (we got lawn). I saw Tom Petty with Steve Winwood a few summers ago, and it was a lot of Fun. Petty played all his hits, and there's a lot of them - more than you'd think, actually. Also, getting Crosby, Stills and Nash on the ticket is quite the deal. The show starts at 7 p.m., and I'd recommend getting there on time to see Crosby, Stills and Nash since Train started right at 7:30, if not before then, this past Sunday when I saw them with John Mayer. A lot of people were still walking in during Train's set.

Review: John Mayer and Train at the Meadows - 8/7

(Blurry cell phone picture of when Pat Monahan joined John Mayer to sing "The Boys of Summer")

Toward the end of his set, John Mayer admitted that "money sucks" and "there's not a lot of it floating around," so he gave a heartfelt thank-you to the audience for buying tickets. "I hope it's worth every penny," he said.

It was.

I know some people spent $80+, but I got lawn seats, so including fees, it came to $40 a ticket. John Mayer and Train were a perfect combo, and really, both are pretty big acts, so it was worth it.

Both pulled out most of their hits, and Mayer and his band jammed for some longer interludes, showing off the musicianship of the band members, including a pretty incredible saxophone player. Mayer even said that it makes a big difference when you have a good band, which is very true. He started with "Bigger Than My Body" and went into "No Such Thing." On top of playing a lot of his more popular songs like "Gravity," "Waiting on the World to Change" and his newer singles, "Heartbreak Warfare" and "Half of My Heart," he also had a lot of audience interaction, talking directly to a couple with a sign that they were just engaged and showing the girls and guys exactly how they dance to jam music. Being from Fairfield, he gave shout-outs to girls from Westport, Easton, Milford, Avon, Cheshire, Groton and Fairfield, places where a good chunk of the audience probably came from. Mayer noted that it's August and the summer's winding down, so he said it's up to you to make a good time. He played on the theme of keeping summer alive as he brought back Pat Monahan from Train to sing " The Boys of Summer." Mayer played for about 2 hours, and Train played for maybe an hour.

Unfortunately, Train felt like an opening band because there wasn't anyone on before them. We got into the venue just after 7:30, which was when the ticket said the show would start. There wasn't another opener listed, but I figured they might throw someone else in. They didn't, so unfortunately, a lot of people were still coming in while Train was playing. Train wasn't even listed on the ticket, and the only way to find out they were playing was by reading articles or looking at Train's website, which listed Hartford on its tour. Train's been around for a long time, and they have a lot of big songs (How 'bout "Hey, Soul Sister" playing non-stop on the radio for the past year?), so it was weird that the promoters didn't include them on the ticket or highlight them more. Even still, they played a great set, with "Marry Me" going into "Hey, Soul Sister" and ending with a big "Drops of Jupiter."

I'm always looking for ways to improve my blog, and a friend said that people want set lists. So, this show I kept note of songs, and I present to you, the set lists. (Note: We missed the beginning of Train, so the first songs aren't there.)

Train (Note, again: We missed some songs in the beginning):
"I Got You"
"If It's Love"
"When I Look to the Sky"
"Calling All Angels"
"Save Me, San Francisco"
"Marry Me"
"Hey, Soul Sister"
"Drops of Jupiter"

John Mayer:
"Bigger Than My Body"
"No Such Thing"
"Clarity"
"Slow Dancing in a Burning Room"
"Perfectly Lonely"
(Jam session with "Ain't No Sunshine")
"Gravity"
"Who Says"
"Waiting on the World to Change"
"Heartbreak Warfare"
"Do You Know Me"
"The Boys of Summer" (with Pat Monahan)
Encore: "Edge of Desire"

Sweet free show: Tower of Power in Hamden this Friday

This Friday, Tower of Power will be playing a free show as part of the Hamden Arts Commission's 2010 Free Summer Concert Series. The concert's at 7:30 p.m. at Town Center Park at Meadowbrook, 2761 Dixwell Avenue. Parking's at the middle school, which is right down the road.

Here's the link to the Hamden Arts Commission website: http://www.hamdenartscommission.org/concerts.html

We went to see Daryl Hall two weeks ago at Town Center Park, and it's a great venue. A big stage at the bottom of a hill and plenty of space for families to set up with lawn chairs and picnics. Also, there are lots of vendors. This should be a good time.

Review: The Flaming Lips - 7/24

The Flaming Lips concerts are worth every penny spent, and ever mile traveled. This show at Mountain Park in Holyoke, Mass. was my fourth Flaming Lips show - the other three I've experienced were in New York City, Boston and Madrid - and this was probably top two because we were so close to the stage. Also, it was the first time I'd seen them in three years, so it was even more awesome.

Wayne came out in the space ball, as he had promised before the show started, and with the epic, loud music in the background and technicolor background images, it was a great start. Add confetti and balloons and you've got yourself a party, which is what Flaming Lips concerts are like. They played all their big songs including "Race For the Prize" and "The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song" and got the audience to sing along to a heartfelt "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" and add animal sound effects to "I Can Be A Frog." After a crazy rendition of "The W.A.N.D." complete with lots of fog and flashing lights. I was having a little trouble dealing with the strobe lights, so I closed my eyes for some of it, but apparently someone in the audience had bigger problems. The show ended for some time, and Wayne came out and said they would wait for that audience member to recuperate before coming out again. When they were ready, they came out with a riveting "Do You Realize."


The coolest part of the show, for me and my friends at least, had to be watching what I will call "The Sage Saga." It was Sage's 9th birthday, and her dad drove her to the show from Rhode Island. She even painted a colorful picture telling the band that it was her birthday. We were near them during the opener and Sage's dad said she loves Yoshimi. Nice. Coolest 9-year-old ever. When Wayne checked out the stage after Fang Island's set, Sage held up her poster and got a nod from Wayne. Her dad had two words for his daughter: "Mission Accomplished."

Halfway through the show, I noticed Sage and her dad had moved from their spot to stage right. Awesome. I was really hoping she'd get a "Happy Birthday" from the band, and she did. Wayne brought her to the center of the stage and the band plus audience sang "Happy Birthday" to her and a guy on the tour named Terry. Best birthday ever. I only hope that when she goes back to school and shares this story as part of what she did on her summer vacation, at least one classmate will know how cool it is.



Fang Island was the opener, and they were very fitting for the Flaming Lips. We had seen them just a few weeks before at a Brooklyn Pool Party, and they rocked it with their building riffs and overall progressive rock sound.

Review: Janelle Monae - 7/23

This was our third free show in a row, and it was by far the best. It pouring, but we had our ponchos and braved the rain at Bushnell Park because Janelle Monae is definitely worth it.

Monae came out as energetic as usual and played for what felt like an hour even though it was much longer. Her sets fly by because they're so fun and get everyone dancing. This was the perfect time to see her, too, with just a full album and an EP out. So we knew a lot of the songs. Also, I think she's getting bigger having played both the BET Awards and the ESPYs this year, so seeing her for free now is pretty fantastic. She performed an extended version of "Tightrope" complete with lots of runs and a fake ending and came out for an encore with "Many Moons." (I totally called that one since she didn't play it during the regular set.)

It was really cool seeing such a diverse crowd - with both 20-somethings from all over and area residents setting up their lawn chairs and giant umbrellas. Even the Hartford mayor came out and said this was what Hartford was all about. It was the city's 375th anniversary, and this free show was to celebrate it. It was presented by the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Hartford Party Starters Union. (Thanks, Hartford Party Starters Union, for starting so many parties!) Bushnell Park was the perfect location for a Hartford celebration because you could see a lot of the city, and the Capitol was beautiful lit up in the night.


Other performers included Cubic Zirconia, who were really cool with their dance music and spoken-word lyrics. DJ Rizzla played between some sets. Tobacco had a pretty fun DJ set. Maluca was OK with their singing and rapping over sampled music, and Holy Ghost was a really cool precursor to Janelle Monae.

Review: Daryl Hall - 7/16

We're getting really good at finding and going to awesome free shows in our area. Daryl Hall was part of the Hamden Arts Commission Free Summer Concert Series and the show was really cool. It started at 7:30 on a Friday night, and the crowd gathered in their lawn chairs with their picnics and families at Town Center Park. Sure, we didn't have Oates, but Hall still played lots of classic Hall and Oates songs, including "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes" and "You Make My Dreams." After a fake ending, he came back for an encore including "Rich Girl." It was a whole lot of fun - and free!

Review: Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu play Joy Division 7/11

Traveled to Brooklyn on my first Sunday not working at the Bristol Press and it was a pretty good day. This was my first Brooklyn Pool Party - I wanted to go last summer and back when it was actually at a pool but was always busy or working on Sundays - and it was a nice setup with a big stage facing the waterfront and a pretty big beer garden with good views of the stage on the side. Also, it was free.

I'm a big Deerhoof fan, and I've heard that Xiu Xiu is pretty good, so I was hoping they would play some of their own songs. Unfortunately, they didn't. Playing Joy Division was cool for the classic 80s feel that all these bands are trying to capture again today, but it kind of felt like a waste that those two bands were there and didn't play any of their songs. Also, when the guy from Xiu Xiu was singing some songs, it sounded like he was trying too hard at points to imitate the guy from Joy Division.

Fang Island was one of the openers, and they were pretty epic. That's probably how you'd describe a lot of their music. It's just epic with the music constantly building. It was cool to see them before seeing them open for the Flaming Lips a few weeks later. I also really liked Why? who was really fun with their hip hop, indie feel.

While I left a little disappointed after Deerhoof and Xiu Xiu's set, I couldn't complain because the show, overall, was pretty good. And I didn't pay anything for it. And because we were in New York, we went to Katz's for lunch.

Review: Jack Johnson at the Meadows - 7/9

Rapid fire blogging - GO!

After giving back my Bristol Press laptop I have been sans computer and sometimes sans internet because my home internet provider is awful and has a monopoly on Meriden. So I haven't blogged in a while and the shows have backed up. I think I have enough time to get all these done this afternoon, so here goes:

Jack Johnson on July 9. This was my last day at work and a pretty cool way to celebrate it. The show was pretty chill. Above is a photo of the tailgating area before the show. The entire experience was pretty relaxed, and you wouldn't expect anything else from a Jack Johnson show. Inside, he played all his hits including "Bubble Toes," "Better Together" and "Upside Down" as well as new stuff from "To The Sea."

After a pretty chill show, getting out of the parking lot was pretty bad, though. We ran into some obnoxious cars with not-so-chill people yelling from their drivers' seats and traffic even after leaving the Meadows. There were fewer people here than other shows we'd been to at the Meadows, but we realized what the problem was: They crammed all of us into the upper lots because the lower lots were taken up by Cirque tents. So it took us over an hour to get out of the parking lot and then even more time to get to the highway. I hope they never do that again, but we'll see next summer.

Review: James Taylor and Carole King at Tanglewood

I don't think it really matters who I see. I mostly like going to Tanglewood for the whole lawn experience.

That being said, this was my second time at a James Taylor show there (went to the 4th of July show two years ago) and third 4th of July weekend show. The lawn is packed. And it's awesome. It's like the Dave Matthews Band tailgate crowd except fancy and more organized (we're talking picnic blankets, little tables, candles and flower vases to go along with your wine and natural food store brand crackers and chips), so it's like Dave Matthews for older people. I hope some band I like right now has enough staying power like James Taylor to stop at a place like Tanglewood for 3 sold-out shows.

He played all his classics, and he alternated with Carole King in singing by themselves or together. James Taylor gave us "Your Smiling Face" and "Fire and Rain" and sounded great. Carole King gave us "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," which a lot of women got up and danced too - some even forming groups, shouting to one another that no one else in their group wanted to dance with them. Toward the end, we got "You've Got a Friend," "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" and "Carolina On My Mind" from both. James Taylor always sounds the same, but Carole sounded really tired. This was her first tour in a while, even though she came out and sang at the James Taylor show two years ago, and it could be because her voice is usually hoarse, but it sounded really hoarse and strained, so I was glad she only sang for half the songs.

Yo Yo Ma made a guest appearance, which I guess I should have expected since the last James Taylor show I saw included surprise appearances by Carole King, Yo Yo Ma and John Travolta (who MCed). No John Travolta this time, but Yo Yo Ma was a great addition.

It was the 4th of July weekend, but because we went on Monday, there weren't fireworks. Still a pretty good time though. We're thinking of seeing John Williams conduct the Boston Pops for Film Night at Tanglewood this year on Aug. 14. We went to Film Night last year and got a surprise appearance by Steven Spielberg.

You can find the 2010 Tanglewood schedule here: http://www.bso.org/bso/mods/complete_season.jsp?id=bcat12400010

Free Janelle Monae show in Hartford? Yes, please!

You heard right. Janelle Monae is headlining Hartford's Still Wavy 375 show at Bushnell Park on July 23.

Here are the details:

"Still Wavy 375 is a free concert in Bushnell Park presented by the Wadsworth Atheneum and the Hartford Party Starters Union in honor of Hartford's 375th anniversary," according to the Still Wavy 375 website.

The concert goes down at 5 p.m. on July 23 at Bushnell Park in Hartford and features Janelle Monae, Holy Ghost, Tobacco, Maluca, Cubic Zirconia and DJ Rizzla.

According to the Facebook event, the concert is from 5 to 11 p.m., and there will be vendors along Trinity Street with Black Bear Saloon vending beers in the beer garden.

Sounds like a pretty sweet time!

For more information on the show or the artists playing, go to the Still Wavy 375 website: http://stillwavy375.com/
While you're there, listen to some of the songs listed on the right. I especially enjoyed the Cubic Zirconia song at the end. Played it during work yesterday.

I logged onto Twitter on Tuesday and saw CTIndie tweeted a blog post on a 375th anniversary concert, and when I looked into it, it was better than I could even imagine, and I'm really glad I found out about it. Janelle Monae is really fun live. Saw her open for Of Montreal at Toad's two years ago, and it was awesome. She's so full of energy, and she's definitely blowing up now that the ArchAndroid's out and she's performing everywhere. So this free show is an extra good deal.

Last day of LiveNation no service fees

Last chance for no service fees with LiveNation (it's only for the month of June), so I just bought my Jack Johnson tickets for his July 9 show at the Meadows/Comcast Theatre in Hartford. I was waiting until today because it was the last day of no service fees - and because it was the last day of the $10 promotion. LiveNation announced 10 days ago that it would sell $10 tickets - no service fees attached - to different shows in your area each day. And no such luck on getting Jack Johnson for $10. That $10 promotion was pretty disappointing for me. Well, the first and last day of that was the Jonas Brothers, and in between there was Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ozzy and Lilith, which are all quality shows, but ones I wouldn't go to. Maybe it'll work out for me next year. Sigh. At least I didn't have to pay the fees for one show, especially after paying the service fees for John Mayer just two days before LiveNation instated no service fee June.

I actually read a good article in Rolling Stone about ticket promotions because of the lack of ticket sales this summer. It mentions the fact that it's unfair to people who bought tickets early and encourages us to wait until the very last minute to buy tickets in case there are deals. I can't find the link online, but it was in the recent issue with Jay-Z on the cover.

Life as a summer reporter or: How I learned to stop worrying and love graduations

(Photo from my college graduation - May 2009)

Last night I covered my 18th graduation in three years. That's what happens when you're an intern, or the youngest reporter, or the education reporter - and I've been all three.

Everyone I know who has to cover a graduation complains about it in some way - they're boring, too long, too hot and all the same. They're right, but I found myself actually volunteering to cover extra graduations for other reporters who didn't want to this year. And now that I'm done covering graduations probably forever since I'm going to law school next year, I don't really know how I feel about it. Relief, maybe. Joy, kind of. A strange sort of emptiness, definitely.

Reporters can leave graduations before diplomas are conferred and after all the speeches, so if you factor that in, the time put into each graduation is about an hour. But also consider the hour it takes to write the story. And sometimes graduations run longer. This year, it seemed like every principal in the state was retiring, so that means longer speeches from some of those principals and from everyone else congratulating and thanking them. Also, in some cases, like with community colleges or tech schools, there aren't many student speakers, so you have to stick around afterward to get quotes. Then there are the graduations where you have speakers and diplomas then a sit-down dinner before more speakers. So let's add all that up and figure I've spent about an entire work week in three years covering nothing but graduations. That's a huge chunk of my life. Of course it feels weird never having to cover one again.

And here's what I learned to love about graduations: They're so happy and full of hope. You've got graduates going off to college or the workforce or more vocational training, and the opportunities just seem endless - and they talk about it. And you've got proud families who may not have thought this day would come. You've got student speakers telling their fellow graduates that they can change the world - and they really believe it. I was definitely a little more cynical by the time my college graduation came around, but I still remember my high school graduation and my senior year of high school when my yearbook quote was Margaret Mead's "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." I could say my high school graduation was ruined since it started outside and had to be moved inside because of the rain (and the front seats my parents got because I was in the top 10 were basically useless because there was a mad rush inside where reserved seats didn't matter), but in general, I remember it as a great day. It's your last day with your entire class, with all the people you've spent your last 4 to 13 years with. It's a day where everyone makes you feel like you've accomplished the greatest thing in the world, and you feel like you can do anything, hence my senior yearbook quote. That's pretty cool for a 17-year-old.

I've seen my share of bad graduations where local politicians and adults talk too long and graduates get restless. I've also seen graduations better organized than others. I've listened to the same songs over and over again (i.e. "For Good" and "I Hope You Dance"). But in the end, it's important to remember that the day is about the graduates, who are starting a whole new chapter in their lives. Even though I left graduations completely exhausted (I often had to park way far away from the ceremony), I couldn't help but feel proud of all the graduates I covered. And they remind me of how I felt at my high school graduation. Their sense of hope and outlook on life is really contagious.

10 days of $10 tickets from Live Nation - Happy Summer!

I think everyone has a routine for when they get into work. For me, it's plug in my laptop, log onto my e-mail then check Twitter updates.

Great surprise today. @LiveNationCT tweeted this: Your last chance to get $10.01 No Service Fee lawn tix to Jonas Brothers & Demi Lovato on 8/13: http://bit.ly/baDd2y Ends at 11:59 tonight!

OK, clearly I'm not going to see the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, but $10? What?

Well, I looked into it, and Live Nation is doing $10 ticket specials to select shows for the last 10 days of June. And June is already the month with no service fees. Sweet!

The offer applies to one show each day from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. Tomorrow the deal's for Lynyrd Skynyrd with Bret Michaels. Here's to hoping that it's Jack Johnson's July 9 show in two days. These shows, so far, are all at the Meadows, or Comcast Theater in Hartford.

Side story: I was going to buy my Jack Johnson tickets today, actually because of no service fees, and because I got an e-mail from ticketmaster saying Jack Johnson shows were almost sold out. Think I'll take my chances and wait until the last day of June to see what the specials are. I wouldn't want what happened to me with my John Mayer and Train tickets - I was going to buy a 4-pack mid-May and the next day, the ticket prices went up $5, so I bought them in case they'd go up again. Well, then it turned June and Live Nation announced no fees for the rest of the month. So I ended up paying a higher price with service fees. There's nothing I can do about it now, though, and I got my tickets in the mail, so I'm excited for that show, which is Aug. 7.

Here's the link to the rest of the shows at the Meadows this summer. http://www.livenation.com/Comcast-Theatre-tickets-Hartford/venue/237642?tm_link=edp_Venue_Name_1

And speaking of which, happy first day of summer!

UPDATE on 6/22: APPARENTLY the Lynyrd Skynyrd tickets are the special both today AND tomorrow. Boo. I guess I can hope once more that it's Jack Johnson in two days.

Quintron and Miss Pussycat at Cafe Nine

Everything's better with puppets.

I was pretty excited when I first noticed the shiny aquamarine blue puppet stage with orange curtains set up in the corner of Cafe Nine Tuesday night. As the lights dimmed down and epic opening music started, Miss Pussycat's head appeared over a puppet's body and the show began. The puppeteers, I'm assuming Quintron and Miss Pussycat and maybe an additional friend, swapped a bunch of puppets ranging from a striped cat with wacky eyes to police officer monkeys, spinning a tale about "secret pizza," which appeared, all holy and illuminated, at the end. They even turned the stage set into a giant puppet with hands. Yes.

Quintron and Miss Pussycat started playing right after the puppet show and it was awesome. I caught part of this New Orleans-based band's set at B.O.M.B. Fest last month, which is why I decided to catch this show, but this show was definitely better. Quintron said this was their third time playing Cafe Nine, and my immediate thought was, where was I? It's a more intimate setting, and the sound and lighting just work.


(Quintron and Miss Pussycat standing on the bar)

They played their catchy, electronic, out-of-this-world dance music with Miss Pussycat's wacky outfit and crazy maracas. And they went for over an hour before running to the back of the room and jumping on the bar to rock out. Right where I was standing, as you can see from my photo above. (Note: I'm still taking photos with my cell phone. It works for me.)


(The Goodnight Loving)


The Goodnight Loving, a band from Milwaukee, opened, and a few songs in, I decided I really liked their sound. They were definitely different from Quintron and Miss Pussycat, but the two together for a show was a surprisingly good fit. The Goodnight Loving alternated between a country twang and fun surfer rock, which was pretty cool. Grabbed a vinyl from them on the way out.

Blogger Design Upgrades!

What a week for social media upgrades! On top of these Blogger design upgrades, we've got adorable little soccer balls on our #WorldCup tweets, and we can now like other people's comments on Facebook!

But back to the design upgrades. As you can see, my blog looks completely different from before - and way more awesome. I can thank the new "Blogger Template Designer" for that.

Here are some cool features:
1. It's easy to use. Just hit "Design" and the "Blogger Template Designer" appears above your blog.
2. Better templates. 'Nuf said.
3. Backgrounds. This is really cool. There are a ton of background pictures to choose from on top of the templates.
4. Layout. You can actually choose your layout, and it's not set by your template. And there are more layouts to choose from.

I was actually starting to get tired of Blogger because of the limits on my blog design. (Lack of background choices, difficult layout options, pain to change colors and lines..) But seeing this new "Design" tab on Blogger felt like Google heard my inner complaining and decided to help a brother out.

Here's the link to the Official Google Blog's post on the Blogger Template Designer: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/blogger-template-designer-now-available.html

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Surfer Blood and Hooray for Earth at Daniel Street (6/3)

(Surfer Blood ending their set)

Leisurely review pace.

Very loud - but still awesome - show at Daniel Street in Milford Thursday night.

I was mostly looking forward to Surfer Blood (pictured above) because we've been listening to their album a lot, and it's really good - and perfect for summer. Surfer Blood performed second - in between Hooray for Earth and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - and despite a bunch of technical difficulty, some speaker pitch problems and all of that being amplified by how loud it was, I enjoyed their set. Even with those problems, Surfer Blood has some really good songs, and with that foundation, it's hard to really have a bad performance. It was also being videotaped for a website, so I think that's why they took forever to start playing (lots of mic and instrument checks), but also why they really rocked it. They ended every song like it was the last song (maybe this was because it was being recorded?), and went all out at the end, bringing a drum into the crowd for someone to play and standing in and over the crowd, as pictured above. I didn't mind that my ears felt cloudy after a concert for the first time in years.


(The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. Couldn't get a good picture, and the ones that were clearer featured the back of a bald head in the audience, so I decided to go with this cool, blurry one.)

Next was The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and they were really good. Toned down a bit from the Surfer Blood set, but still very danceable. Very good live. I was very surprised by how good Hooray for Earth's electronic pop with lots of synth was, and the fact that I was surprised made their set that much better. Two drummers and lots of musicianship. They were a great start, and great complement to Surfer Blood and The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and I actually picked up a CD afterward.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood Tonight!

(Photos of The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Surfer Blood from their myspace pages)

Super last-minute post on an awesome show tonight.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Surfer Blood and Hooray for Earth are set to play tonight at at 7 at Daniel Street, on 21 Daniel St. in Milford, and I'm super excited. We've been listening to a lot of Surfer Blood lately, and they're just a fun, summer sounds band. And Pains of Being Pure at Heart is awesome with their noise pop.

Here's the info from the Daniel Street website:

Manic Productions Presents:
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Thur, June 3rd
7PM / ALL AGES / $15 ($13 ADV)
Surfer Blood & Hooray For Earth

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is a noise pop band which formed in 2007 in NYC. They consist of Kip Berman (vocals, guitar), Peggy Wang (vocals, keyboards), Alex Naidus (bass) and Kurt Feldman (drums). If you are into dreamy Õ80s-sounding indie pop then this band is for you! For fans of The Smiths, My Bloody Valentine, Black Tambourine, Jesus and Mary Chain, etc. Slumberland Records

Surfer Blood Meet Surfer Blood: they call West Palm Beach home and, while still in their early 20s, have penned an album worth of catchy, summery indie songs that even the most hook-laden power pop band would rightfully be jealous of. Their sound has been compared to Weezer, Pavement and Built to Spill. Kanine Records

Hooray For Earth Hooray for Earth's Momo EP ends the way Brian Eno's Taking Tiger Mountain begins: with a charging bass drum, a flare of distorted guitar and stacked, soaring vocals. Like that record, Momo handily navigates the middle ground between rock and electronic music, layering spaced-out synths over highwire guitars, creating songs that conjure both the past and the future at the same time. Largely the brainchild of primary songwriters Noel Heroux and Chris Principe, Hooray for Earth are masters at swaddling irresistible pop hooks in layers of sinewave electronics.

Find out more at http://www.manicproductions.org/.

Tickets are available at the door. See you there?

B.O.M.B. Fest Review

(Of Montreal performing at B.O.M.B. Fest)

When you combine some your favorite bands with a great place like the Durham Fairgrounds, there's really no way you can go wrong. That's what B.O.M.B. Fest was on Sunday. And it was a beautiful day, which made it that much better.

Of Montreal was definitely my favorite part of the festival. I saw them last year at Toad's Place, but their performance at B.O.M.B. Fest was crazy better. They played mid-day, and I think the outdoor stage was a better setting for their fun, sunny indie pop rock. And they rocked it, really playing to the crowd with lots of danceable songs - including a lot that people knew. And they played my two favorite songs of theirs - "Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse" and "Bunny Ain't No Kind of Rider"! And it wouldn't be an Of Montreal performance without Kevin Barnes wearing a wacky outfit with colorful makeup or a crazy spectacle with guys and girls in wild costumes, doing everything from whipping one another to stabbing puppets with balloon heads to forming a pyramid. Or confetti. And they delivered on all of the above. You really can't watch Of Montreal and not have any fun.

The other two bands/musicians I couldn't miss were Girl Talk and Ra Ra Riot. Both were awesome. This was my third time seeing Girl Talk and second Ra Ra Riot.


(Girl Talk set)

Girl Talk at a festival was a very different experience from an indoor venue. There was still the crazy dancing crowd and the riot onstage, but Greg Gillis, who is Girl Talk, really put it best: He said it was like playing at a party in someone's parents' backyard. I love seeing Girl Talk live because he'll mash up songs you've heard him use before - like parts of his "Bounce That" but also throw in songs the crowd can sing along to, like "Shout" and "Since U Been Gone." Also, you get to see him at work, dancing harder than everyone else and stopping to slow it down every once in a while. He ended with a very heartfelt "Imagine," and with everyone waving their arms from side to side, it was beautiful.

After Girl Talk performed, I was pretty much set for the rest of the festival. That was a pretty nice feeling. But the day was young, and everything we got to see afterward was just a bonus. Actually, that counts the stuff beforehand too.


(Ra Ra Riot)

Ra Ra Riot was really good. So were Cool Kids, who were very fitting, and a pretty good tie-in between the indie bands and Lupe Fiasco. Also matching with those two was G-Eazy, a hilarious but awesome rapper from California whose party lyrics were totally fun. Garrett and I actually really liked him. Like, everyone thought he was funny at first, but we totally listened to his CD (Which he gave out for free after his performance) on the way home. Definitely throwing that on at the next party and waiting to see how many people ask who it is because it's so awesome. We also saw Mute Math, 40 oz. to Freedom and Clarias. The stage setup for stages 1 and 2 was pretty cool because after one band ended, the band on the other stage would be set up and could start right away.

30 Seconds to Mars reminded me that I'm not a 15-year-old emo kid anymore, so we didn't stick around for them. Instead, we saw Quintron and Miss Pussycat, a wacky, screamy and electronic duo from New Orleans. They were a lot of fun. We also took a ride on the Ferris wheel before heading over to Lupe Fiasco's set (which I was totally content with once he performed "Kick, Push" //hip hop class memories).


(Quintron and Miss Pussycat on Stage 3. Just a small group walked over to the stage for them, but they had fun.)

The free carnival rides were pretty cool, though definitely underused - probably because everyone in line was asking other people if the ride was free. I'm pretty sure the Ferris wheel operator's line to me, "It's all inclusive," was well rehearsed by the time I asked him if the ride was actually free. (Maybe that should have been advertised better.) The Ferris wheel was pretty cool because I could see all the stages, and I was in a good spot to listen to States Away playing at Stage 4, which was way out of the way from stages 1 and 2. They sounded really fun, and I was glad the ride was pretty long (we went around maybe 4 times), so we could enjoy at least some of their set, which ended just as we got off the Ferris wheel and started to walk over.

If B.O.M.B. Fest does go down next year, the fourth stage may be too much. I'm sure the bands that played were good, but it's really sad that they got such small crowds. It's like having a birthday party and inviting your entire class only to have one kid show up. (Not that I know what that's like..) I also thought some bands on the third stage got the shaft - I was super sad that M.T. Bearington's set was during Of Montreal.


(View from our Ferris wheel ride)

Another point: I don't understand why there was only alcohol in the VIP area. I could see it being a way to keep booze under control, kind of like how All Points West had closed-off beer gardens, but if that was the case, why wasn't there a non-VIP beer garden-type area? People with VIP tickets only represented a small percentage of everyone in attendance, so the festival lost money on potential sales. The festival obviously had to bring the beer onto the fairgrounds to supply it to the VIP section, so why not sell it to more people?

All in all, though, it was a great festival. It was definitely well organized, and the Durham Fairgrounds was the perfect place to hold it. There were plenty of bathrooms, enough vendors and a good variety, nice local causes allowed to sell stuff (like the Boy Scouts selling delicious Lime Rickeys), lots of benches and picnic tables to sit down and plenty of garbage and recycling receptacles so there wasn't much litter. Very impressive. Plus it was super close to home. And I got to see some great music, which was the point.

(All photos taken from my cell phone. They actually didn't come out too bad this time!)

Dave Matthews Band kicks off tour in Hartford this weekend

This is where I'll be Saturday.

If you're a Dave Matthews Band fan, you've probably already heard that this tour is a pretty big deal and you should get there: The band is taking a break from touring next year.

The band released this news on May 14 in a post titled "A Message to Our Fans":

"As we feel the excitement building for this summer, we wanted to let everyone know that after twenty years of consecutive touring, Dave Matthews Band will be taking 2011 off. We feel lucky that our tours are a part of so many people's lives, and wanted to give everyone as much notice as possible. We're excited to make this summer one of our best tours yet, and look forward to returning to the road in 2012."

I didn't even realize they've been touring for 20 consecutive years - that's most of my life. They definitely deserve a break. But this also means that this tour is going to be awesome, and I'm really excited that it kicks off in my home state.

Also, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, a throwback R&B, soul band that's definitely worth watching, is opening. Super bonus!

Here's the tour schedule: http://www.davematthewsband.com/#/tour The first two stops are this Friday and Saturday in Hartford at the Meadows.

(Photo from boston.com and I think it's a promotional one because it's on a lot of blogs.)

First Chipotle in Connecticut!

A Chipotle burrito is totally worth an hour and a half wait, especially if it's free. That's how long I waited on Thursday to get my first Chipotle burrito in Connecticut, and even though it was really hot out, it was totally worth it once I got to that counter and loaded my burrito up with everything. We make sure to stop in a Chipotle whenever we go to New York (since there's one every couple blocks in the city), so having a Chipotle in Connecticut in West Hartford, which is about a half hour away from me, is awesome. (Above is the beginning of the line.)


So after about an hour and 15 minutes in line, I could actually see the doorway, and the people around me were getting excited. Actually, once I got close to the counter, one very happy dude said, "Just load it up!" as his burrito was being made. I think that's the beauty of Chipotle - that you're getting a jacked burrito with awesome ingredients for not that bad a price. On free burrito day, it's that x2, since you're getting it for free. I also enjoy getting tacos and quesadillas at times, and the chips with a hint of lime are a great side order. Now that a Chipotle is open in Connecticut, I'm definitely going to enjoy going there. Also, the West Hartford location, on 966 Farmington Ave., is obviously bigger than a lot of the Chipotles in New York City. There's a few tables on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant and lots of seating inside. Plus, if you go down the hallway past the counter where you order, there are even more tables. Pretty awesome.

If you go: It's on 966 Farmington Ave., West Hartford. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Whose Line Guys at Warner Tomorrow

Need something to do tomorrow night? Well, Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood from "Whose Line Is It Anyway" will be at the Warner in Torrington for their 3rd Annual Farewell Tour.

Tickets range from $29.50 to $100, and more info on the event and tickets can be found here: http://www.warnertheatre.org/colinbrad.htm

Here's the event description:
"Following the success of ABC’s Emmy-nominated “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” they return to the Warner for another evening of extraordinary improvisational comedy. Using their quick wit, Mochrie and Sherwood take contributions from the audience to create hilarious and original scenes."

I saw them twice at UConn, and they perform the same wacky improv games like on "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" along with some other stunts, and it's a lot of fun.

The Machine at Toad's

The cover band is a pretty funny concept when you think about it. The more you can play a song like the original band, the more audience approval you get. Depending on what band you cover and how long it's been since they've been on tour, you can actually make some good money playing other people's songs. Also, everyone knows that any good cover band has to know every song by the band they cover.

I've seen The Machine twice now, and they're a pretty good Pink Floyd cover band - I mean, tribute band. They're not Australian Pink Floyd with the crazy show recreations, and they don't always sound exactly like Pink Floyd (though sometimes they do), but they really fill that live music void for Floyd fans. At Toad's Place on Saturday night they played "The Wall" and then a pretty long encore of additional songs. It was pretty cool, and it was also cool that we knew what was going down because they played some of "The Wall" then let us know they were going on break then coming back to play the rest and then maybe playing some more.

They started around 9 and ended just after midnight because Toad's Place was turning into a night club for two hours. Tickets were $15, which wasn't bad, and I guess the "Gold Circle" up front was $30. I think people were getting more into The Machine's set when I saw them at The Webster in Hartford, but the seating setup at Toad's could have been to blame on Saturday. That was the first time I ever saw those chairs at Toad's, and it was kind of weird. Anyway, there were definitely people into it, even though most were sitting. Even though you could tell the band could have played for at least two more hours, I was glad it ended after three because it was just enough. A little more would have been too much - like that time Shakedown played until 2 a.m. That was cool for the big fans, but for those of us who got to the show when they started playing (which is later than doors), it got tiring.

My old band director used to tell us that his band director told him to always make the audience leave wanting more. People were definitely getting tired toward the end of The Machine's set, and a good chunk of the people up front had left already. Any more than three hours, and they would have gone way too far past that point.