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.