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/