Dave Matthews Band: Revisited

Dave Matthews Band
Shoreline Amphitheater
Mountain View, CA
August 28, 2010

Dave Matthews Band: Revisited

I have a well-known reputation for bad-mouthing the Dave Matthews Band even though I always had a guilty suspicion that part of it was simply a reflex reaction to all the hype regarding his live performances. Of course, after seeing DMB live, I still feel that part of my resistance to hopping on the DMB bandwagon is justified. He is a crappy songwriter, that's for sure.

A small sample of his lyrics:
“Hike up your skirt a little more/ and show the world to me” Crash

“Candyman teasing the thoughts of a/ Sweet tooth tortured by the weight loss Programs/ cutting the corners” Ants Marching

“Sometimes I walk there/ Well yes God knows sometimes I take a bus there/ shouldn't care” Jimi Thing

“If you a doggie on a chain/ Don't bite the mailman/ What would you say” What Would You Say

“We were walking / Just the other day/ It was so hot outside/ You could fry an egg” Stay (Wasting Time)

And these are some of DMB’s biggest and most popular hits. So, case closed. Well, OK, I have to admit some grudging respect after having been to The Show.

In some respects, any band that has played together for 20 years like DMB should be able to perform and there’s no doubt that the band is a group of highly professional musicians with great understanding- which is necessary given the constant time signature shifts and sharp angular chords and key changes in many of the songs. While many have compared DMB to the Grateful Dead, in terms of their penchant for jamming and letting the song choose its own path, that's only partly true. I think DMB has much more in common with the musical line that led to jazz/rock combos like Weather Report, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock - though DMB is certainly more rock-oriented than those outfits- basically Herbie Hancock with a syncopated funk backbeat and a strumming guitar. Still, when I was listening at the Shoreline show, I was reminded much more of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew than Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Wilson Pickett or other traditional blues artists that the Grateful Dead was more directly influenced by. Nevertheless, DMB are certainly the descendants of a unique American musical tradition that I can't help but admire because it is clear that there is thought and creativity in the music (just not the lyrics).

The Saturday Show at Shoreline started a little slow. The first couple numbers were pretty forgettable but as the night wore on, the band warmed up. Strangely, the light-show also got better as the night went on, dark screens came to life and the lighting effects increased on later songs. Another thing that frequently bothered me about DMB recordings is his nasally voice but that quality was almost completely absent from his live voice. So, though I had feared a lackluster, unenjoyable performance, I was impressed and by the time DMB played a fantastic version of Bob Dylan’s All Along the Watchtower to end the show, I understood the crowd's enthusiasm even if it is unlikely that I will foray down this path again.

Other highlights of the night included, One Sweet World, Write A Song, a chorus of For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield, and Cornbread.

corrected from earlier version

Outside Lands: Furthur, Cat Power, My Morning Jacket, Levon Helm Band

Outside Lands
Golden Gate Park
San Francisco, CA
August 14, 2010

Outside Lands: Furthur, Cat Power, My Morning Jacket, Levon Helm Band

Outside Lands: Due to a fancy bit of ticket bartering, I was able to finagle a VIP pass for the Outside Lands music festival in Golden Gate Park. And believe me, VIP is the way to go. In addition to separate food and drink concessions, there was a plush lounge area with massage chairs and a view of the main stage. There was also a separate viewing area that allowed me to get quite close to the stage without having to camp out for hours in advance. Oh, and the most luxurious port-a-johns that I’ve ever peed in- they smelled like licorice. Still this could not quite compensate for the general unpleasantness of the summer music festival scene. It’s amazing that these festivals continue to sprout up in and around every major metropolitan area in the US. The promise of these festivals always, always outweighs the reality. There were the drunken louts bouncing off their unfortunate neighbors, grossly overpriced food and drink and at least one crappy band for each that I wanted to see. Certainly hiking back and forth and back and forth from stage to stage was tiring, as was standing for hours and hours. The two main stages were close to a ½ mile apart which meant that I easily hiked 2 miles in addition to standing for 7 hours. But there were some redemptive musical moments:

Furthur: This was not one of the redemptive musical moments. The last time MV&R checked in with the remnants of the Grateful Dead, now calling themselves “Furthur,” I was pleasantly surprised at the quality and energy of the show. Not so much this time around. It could have been the weariness of having trudged around the Outside Lands grounds already for the previous 7 hours or it could have been that, with a large screen, I could easily see that I don’t know these people on stage any longer. There are only two members left of the original Grateful Dead and though their performance was passable, it struck me more as a nostalgia act than ever before. Part of the enduring power of the Grateful Dead, despite their ready association with the 1960s, was their ability to constantly reinvent their music. The Grateful Dead was never the Beach Boys turning out California Girls the exact same over and over. However, this time I felt that the band was missing its soulful leader and while Jerry Garcia’s replacement, John Kadlicek, sounds and plays like Jerry, it’s not the same. The Polo field grounds, where I once saw the actual Grateful Dead perform to 100,000 people, was barely a third full. And that about says it all.

Cat Power: Given the bland and uninspired performance by Furthur, I regretted having left Cat Power midway through her set to hike from one end of Outside Lands to the other. Although Cat Power has developed a reputation for erratic performances, she can really sing. She is Chan Marshall. And it was quite a pleasure to listen to her minimalist, bluesy arrangements that highlighted her breathy but sultry voice. Cat Power has a bedroom voice and is highly regarded for her unique covers of classic rock songs like Space Oddity, Wonderwall and Satisfaction. If you listen to these, you’ll surely recognize her distinctive sound which can be found frequently on TV shows, commercials and feature movies. Though I think much of the crowd was there for The Strokes (who I missed), Cat Power deserves her own audience and I hope that she comes back to the Bay Area at a small venue. Her intimate music needs a more private setting.

My Morning Jacket: Probably the best performance of the four acts that I saw. My Morning Jacket is a critic’s favorite but worthy of much of the attention they get, even if, at times, the music seems to tend more toward atmospherics than, say, an actual melody. Perhaps, they listen to Coldplay too much. Still, this was probably the best performance of Outside Lands both as a result of and despite of the antics of frontman, Jim James. During two songs, James sang with a royal blue towel over his head that covered his face and which came off as more bizarre than ‘artistic.’ But he has an amazingly expressive voice and can be mesmerizing to watch sing with his bushy beard and tremulous alto voice. He is definitely a major talent. Although MMJ always seems to be on the verge of a major commercial breakthrough, they assiduously avoid it - opting instead to maintain their indie cred and build an audience one fan at a time. Well, after their performance at Outside Lands, they have at least one more fan. Check out clips and tunes here and here and here. And here for a high quality video of their first song at Outside Lands.

Levon Helm Band: The Levon Helm Band started their performance with “Ophelia” and “The Shape I’m In,” two classic songs from Levon's time with The Band. Levon was joined by a large band with a full horn section. If Britney Spears and American Idol represent everything bad about American music, Levon Helm represents everything that is good about American music. You would be hard-pressed to find a more authentic American voice than Levon Helm. When listening to Levon Helm and/or The Band, I feel like I’m spending a summer weekend in the mountains, drinking beer on the deck with friends that come and go. Much like Bob Dylan, but in a more down-home, country way, The Band’s music and Levon Helm’s performance connect in both a personal and universal way at the same time. Listening to the Levon Helm Band sing “The Weight,” made me feel like we are all in this together and together, we’ll all get by. Check out Jim James from My Morning Jacket singing The Weight with Levon Helm Band. (without the blue towel)

Phish: Groovy

Phish

Greek Theater

Berkeley, CA

August 7, 2010

Phish: Groovy

There’s really no better atmosphere in popular music than in the audience at a Phish concert. There is simply no other place as groovy and jaunty filled with fun-loving, beautiful people. In honor of the show being at the Greek Theater, much of the audience decided to throw a Toga Party. Many fans (or phans) came wrapped in bed sheets wearing a Greek crown of Bay leaves, but you were just as likely to see young phans with painted faces wearing tie-dye and tossing glitter or dancing with an inflatable fish. I also saw a phan in a shark costume. OK, so everyone is white, but you’ll still not find a more accepting, open group anywhere. And when the music started, the entire crowd danced with complete abandon throwing beach balls and balloons. After the sun went down, the audience became even livelier. At times, almost on cue, dozens of handfuls of small six-inch rainbow colored glowsticks were thrown out over the crowd. The vibe is as close as you’ll find to the parking lot of a Grateful Dead show when they were at their peak. Unfortunately, the music is not quite as good.

Trey Anastasio may be one of the most talented guitarists around, but as I complained once before on MV&R, he is not a song-writer and that is painfully obvious at times. Still, with the excellent musicianship and the amazing crowd, it’s impossible not to have fun at a Phish show. Check out some clips here and here (go to 1:15 of this clip to see a glimpse of the glowstick war) and here (for 2001 (Thus Sprach Zarathustra) for the music highlight of the show)

Rush: Cool to be Uncool

Rush: Cool to be Uncool

Marcus Amphitheater, Summerfest

Milwaukee, WI

July 3, 2010

There are few bands that provoke as much of a love-hate response as Rush. It seems you either get it or you don’t. Try asking a fan why they like Rush. It’s inexplicable. Certainly, their critics have been equally as harsh as their fans have been adoring. Rolling Stone once characterized Rush fans as the “Trekkies” of rock. And to the extent that is true, I can’t help but admire fans that don’t care about popular taste or self-righteous critics and that are loyal to their heroes over many decades. And, like Star Trek, there is a kind of uncompromising earnestness in Rush songs that is both naïve and profound at the same time. It is no wonder that their greatest popularity is found largely in Canada and the US Midwest where being free from ambiguity or pretense is highly prized.

This summer, Rush is on their “Time Machine” tour where after an opening set, they return to play their classic album “Moving Pictures” in its entirety. Many fans, as well as some band members, consider this 1980 album to be the ultimate expression of the Rush sound. Of their 18 studio albums, Moving Pictures had the most commercial success with the AOR hits, “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight.” It also contains “Camera Eye,” which was the highlight of their concert in Milwaukee.

The band began their Summerfest show with “Spirit of the Radio,” one of the best songs ever about the music/radio business and the struggle bands often face not to sell-out. Most of the songs in the first set were from the second half of Rush’s career that I had long ago dismissed, along with many of Rush’s early fans, but there were a couple songs that I really enjoyed and will have to revisit. This set also included the classic "Freewill."

The second set began with “Tom Sawyer” and a wonderful “Red Barchetta.” During “YYZ,” the lakefront fireworks display began and was partially visible stage-right for the next hour which added to the excitement of the show and the 4^th of July holiday atmosphere. After “Limelight,” came the 10-minute opus, “Camera Eye.” “Camera Eye” is a wonderful song that is one of my favorites but don’t ask me to explain why. The way the song patiently unfolds in multiple parts while staying unified thematically is masterful. It’s also nice that the song is about two of my favorite cities, New York and London. After “Moving Pictures,” the band also played crowd favorites, “Closer to the Heart” and “2112.”

Returning to Wisconsin to see Rush at Summerfest reminded me of simpler, less complicated times when music was the most important and exciting thing in my life. Those memories of my adolescence, backyard BBQs with brats and childhood crushes, are becoming more indistinct as I get older but it was wonderful to watch Rush near Lake Michigan on a warm summer night in July almost as if I had never left.

Massive Attack: Stickerpogy

Massive Attack
The Warfield
San Francisco
May 25, 2010

Massive Attack: Stickerpogy

Massive Attack may no longer be on the cutting edge of the eletronica/ trip hop music scene but they still know how to rock the house. It may seem a curious contradiction to claim that a trip-hop outfit “rocked” the house, especially when their most easily recognized song, “Teardrop,” (also the eerie theme song to the TV medical show “House”) sounds like an LSD-laced tantric-sex soundtrack. But, on Tuesday night at the Warfield in San Francisco, the MA weaved vaguely melodic snippets of music into wall-of-sound crescendos - kind of like an electronic version of a psychedelic jamband -that not only exposed much electronic music for what it really is (pointless computer noodling and looping) but was also great fun. In other words, Massive Attack knows how to do electronic music right.

However, there is a certain kind of pedantic quality to Massive Attack that was unfortunately revealed in the show staging. For much of the show, they forced the audience to wear their reading glasses, as nearly every song was accompanied by a Harper’s Index of Chomsky-esque bumper-stickerology sloganeering condemning the modern world (read: US imperialism) on the stage-long rows of LED lights behind the band. This came off as a bit self-righteous and left me rolling my eyes at times. Although the reception was good in San Francisco, one of the most liberal cities in the US, I can’t imagine that this show would be as well received in Arizona. (Good thing then that MA recently announced that they will boycott AZ) At times, the LED light production and the constant message flashes were used to good effect while other times it was overbearing and distracting.

The band had quite a lot of poise and stage presence and performed well and, on its own, the staging with the LED lights was also really well-done and effective. So, I am not certain why, even though the show was thoroughly enjoyable, part of me was a little disappointed that I had to read didactic messages for much of the night. I certainly didn’t leave feeling like I had wasted my time and money, but I also left feeling like the show could have been absolutely spectacular but was only great. Almost as if there were great, fresh ingredients and a brilliant recipe and instead of being blown away, I had a really nice meal. Maybe, that’s expecting too much.

The band was accompanied on stage by Martina Topley-Bird and reggae great, Jamaican Hoarce Mann. Both kept the show grounded as much as possible and it wouldn’t have been as good a night without them. Of course, seeing an electronica band in the electronic age, the YouTube already has plenty of clips of varying quality from the show. Check them out: here and here and here and here.

Jakob Dylan: JD And the Old Man

Jakob Dylan and Three Legs featuring Neko Case and Kelly Hogan

The Felice Brothers

Grand Regency Ballroom

San Francisco, CA

May 12, 2010

It’s got to be hard to grow up as the off-spring of a cultural and musical icon. There’s no possible way for Jakob Dylan to measure up against all the accomplishments of his father, Bob. Bob Dylan is a legend. In Time magazine’s list of the century’s most influential artists and entertainers, Bobby D was included next to James Joyce, TS Eliot, the Beatles, Picasso and Marlon Brando but more importantly, Bob is one of my personal faves. Not only did Jakob grow up in the shadow of this incomparable legacy, he also resembles his father a great deal so that when you see him sing, you can’t help but think of his father.

When listening to JD do his thing, part of me feels that I must be underestimating his music- which is quite good - because of the immediate connection in my mind to his father. But another part of me also feels that JD can do better. There is no question that JD is a very good songwriter, singer and performer, but despite how pleasant the music is, I feel there is a little bit of an adventurous spirit missing. Maybe there is some father/son psychological compulsion driving JD to play it safe knowing that he will always be compared to Bob. I can’t help but feel there is a timidness underlying his otherwise self-assured persona.

JD’s new album Women + Country is only his second solo album after a long stint with The Wallflowers. It is the kind of folky ambient roots collection of thoughtful yet optimistic tunes that critics frequently adore but can often wash over you too easily. They are tunes to chill by, which make them less like tunes to party to- as one might want to do at a live performance. This might also be part of the disconnect that I felt at the Regency Ballroom, that and a full stomach of fried Catfish from Farmer Bob’s. Although I mistakenly believed that Neko Case and Kelly Hogan would be performing separately, I don’t think I would have enjoyed the show as much without them singing in the Three Legs band. They added some very nice harmonies and the highlights of the show almost all involved their stepping into the spotlight– on “Three Marlenas,” “Sixth Avenue Heartache,” “Smile When You Call Me That,” and “Evil is Alive and Well.”

Playing before JD and TL feature NC and KH, was The Felice Brothers who were plenty adventurous, almost a little too much. Their music was kind of a cross between Tom Waits and the Grateful Dead which ended up sounding (ironically) a lot like Bob Dylan during his days with The Band. It is a very loose sound with beatnik lyrics that is really a lot of fun. Definitely a band that I will continue to follow. For a taste, check out “Run Chicken Run” or “Frankie’s Gun.”

Vampire Weekend: Playing it Safe

Vampire Weekend
Fox Theater
Oakland, CA
April 20, 2010

Vampire Weekend: Playing it Safe

I was greatly disappointed not to see one cape or pair of fake vampire fangs at the sold-out Vampire Weekend show at the Fox Theater in Oakland. Considering the Afro/preppy/new-wave sound of this bright and quirky band, I expected more sense of humor in the audience. Of course, I think I expected more from the band as well who seemed to play it all very safe. VW is currently considered one of the hippest things going, but I can’t help feeling like I’ve heard this Afro/preppy/new-wave sound before. The combination sounds rather like the tame pop music of the 1980s: ABC, Split Endz, The English Beat. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, a little mindless pop music is often a good time and VW does it quite well.

VW makes a quite a big deal about being influenced by African music and Paul Simon’s 1986 classic Graceland, which prominently features So. African musicians; VW also makes quite a big deal about the fact that the band members all met while attending Ivy-League Columbia University on New York’s Upper West Side (their music has been called Upper West Side Soweto, they also have been called the whitest band around). You would think the frequent references to Columbia would mean they are preppy ( they do wear the Oxfords and boat shoes) and brainy, but still, the music is quite accessible. In fact, it is their easy, laid-back attitude that makes their sound so much more appealing than bands who so desperately try to impress and grab your attention, like the Decemberists or Fleet Foxes, for example. However, I think the unassuming, clean-cut, clever, indie pop appeal of Vampire Weekend could also lead to their eventual fizzing and fading away. Three days on from the concert and my impressions of the show are already dissipating.

Playing it safe is good for summering in the Hamptons, sipping Sea Breezes while watching sailboats in the Sound. VW would be perfect for a day on the Cape, a jog on the shoreline, but personally, I prefer a bit more edge and bit more adventurous spirit in my indie rock. Hopefully, Vampire Weekend can build on the huge success of their first two albums by taking a few more risks. Otherwise, I fear they may end up a one-trick pony.

The Cave Singers: Religious Experience

Cave Singers
Duchess and Duke
Moondoggies
The Independent
San Francisco, CA
March 9, 2010

The Cave Singers: Religious Experience

This is now the fifth appearance for the Cave Singers on MV&R. Pretty soon, I am going to quit banging on about the awesomeness of this band and just keep them as my own secret musical source of redemption. Unfortunately, Tuesday night was perhaps their weakest performance of the shows I’ve attended, getting off to a stuttering start with sound and light problems and some bizarre heckling from the crowd. (“Tell us about your mother.” WTF?) In addition, there was a loud-talker standing just behind me- not very conducive to the quiet introspective music of TCS. I guess these are the growing pains of success as more people discover the band and this was the largest audience I’d seen yet for one of their shows. Things did kick into gear once they hit At the Cut. Then, they were destined to satisfy once again. One of the best shows I ever attended was Tom Waits in Seattle, WA when he opened with “Jesus Going to be Here Soon” thumping a handheld drum with a puff of dust as he stomped across the stage and proclaimed religious salvation is at hand. To listen to the Cave Singers is to be equally transported.

Opening for the Cave Singers, were the Duchess and the Duke, a folk singer duo that seemed out of time from the 1960s. And the Moondoggies, who have an awesome name, but who I missed because of an appointment with Tsuname Sushi a couple blocks away. To quote the Cave Singers, “Next time, next life down the road.”

San Francisco Symphony: Chamber Music

San Francisco Symphony

Chamber Music Series

Davies Symphony Hall

February 28, 2010

Mozart, Quartet in D minor

If you are a teenager on a sunny Sunday afternoon, a rarity in San Francisco this winter, there may be no better place to catch a quick cat-nap then when your parents are forcing you to enrich yourself at Davies Symphony Hall during the Mozart String Quartet in D minor. The lights had not been dimmed for more then 5 minutes when the teenagers in front of me were sacked out, precariously propped up against one another.

The playbill notes describe the first movement of the Quartet as conveying ‘general pathos’ and an ‘atmosphere of fatalism’ while the dense counterpoint, until the recapitulation, adds a ‘nervous edge’ until the ‘bitter end.’ A seemingly perfect piece for the angst ridden alienation of the lives of teenagers, but not at Davies Symphony Hall. Of course, I am no teenager and I have to confess that I did not quite appreciate the plummeting octave intervals or the later dense polyphonic minor-key forcefulness of the second movement as fully as I was hoping.

Although the talent of the string-players was world-class, the piece washed over me with out any deeper connection that I hope for from classical music other than to note some pretty melodies and a nice flourish of rhythmic plucking in the final movement that shook me from my classical music stupor.

Brahms Quintet in B minor for Clarinet and Strings, Opus 115

After the interval, the next group trotted out for a more rewarding performance of one of the most famous clarinet pieces. The full timbral effect of the clarinet plus strings was far more engaging and the lone wind instrument weaving amidst the strings was both beautiful and entrancing.

In the second movement, the interplay of the clarinet and first violin shared thematic duties adding a Gypsy-flavored flair which can be found in Brahms at times. I have often stated that I am not a fan of Brahms, but I think tastes change as you grow older. Although I still do not favor his vocal arrangements, I have a growing appreciation of his symphonic and chamber music efforts- though they still strike me as heavy-handed from time to time. But this was not the case with his Quintet in B minor.

The finale is a theme with five variations. The second is full of rhythmic displacement that I think is easy to appreciate for a modern audience accustomed to experimental rhythmic adventures frequently found in jazz and popular music. The fourth variation was written in a contrasting major key and leads beautifully to the final variation, a waltz before a coda which returns thematic material from the opening movement. Even the teenagers were able to pay attention. A serious piece, but a delightful performance, and well worth spending the afternoon indoors on a sunny day.