Lauryn Hill: Frantic

Lauryn Hill

The Warfield Theater

San Francisco, CA

February 16, 2012

Lauryn Hill: Frantic

Frantic may not be a word generally associated with the mellow hip-hop stylings of Lauryn Hill. Both her much acclaimed album from 1998, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and her 2002 MTV Unplugged 2.0 offer quiet, atmospheric hip-hop. Man, that would have been

awesome to hear live! Instead, her performance at the Warfield on Thursday night was entirely frantic and desperate to please. The mellow, sparse arrangements were replaced by methamphetamine-amped splurges of blared noisescape. The whole show was definitely a violation of expectations and even more so a violation of acceptable sound. Too many chefs to say the least.

Not only was her performance marred by the amped-up arrangements that made every song sound the same, the sound itself was muddy, distorted and overbearingly loud. That's becoming a common refrain for shows these days. I likes me a good, loud show to add to the excitement but not when the result is a blast of indistinguishable sound-blobs. In addition, few artists can survive a poor bass performance and, for most of the night, LH's bass was little more than a blaring, thumping drone that washed out her vocals and what remained of the melody.

I admire musical artists that want to reinvent their previous work and Lauryn must be getting tired of singing the same songs for the past 14 years (maybe it's time for a new album, hon) but few songs were reinvented for the better. You know that the show was lacking when your primary rumination on the way home is about what might have been.

On the plus side: Very tasty Indian food at Amber India!

Other opinions:

MT: I'm afraid Lauryn Hill was indeed a bit of a train wreck but major fault lay in the mixing board, bass at 15, vocals at 5 and the endless over-rearrangement of songs making them bloody unrecognizable. Pity because she's still got the lungs/ the pitch/ the charisma juice but her bass player was channeling/parroting In Living Color. And in the rare moments when the DJ level was turned down, her backup singers outsang her. Fun night anyway.

JW: I stuck it out until before the encore. The song choices were great with some fun cover songs thrown in [Ed. note: Always love to hear a Bob Marley cover] but I was kinda sorta disappointed at the production quality which did very little to show off Lauryn's vocals. She sang about 2 minutes of pure vocals near the end which was great but made me long for an acoustic set. I really felt like my Dad watching the show last night what with all the noise, I was feeling quite grumpy and old-fashioned in my listening preferences. And it made me feel sweaty just watching Lauryn strut her stuff in a fur coat. What's wrong with the yoof today, don't they know good quality entertainment when an old fogey demands it!!

Lenny Kravitz: Retro and Proud of It

Lenny Kravitz

Fox Theater

Oakland, CA

February 14, 2012

Lenny Kravitz: Retro and Proud of It

Authenticity is a precious commodity. It is the coin of the realm in most artistic expression. But it is difficult to define even though most people will say they know it when they see it. The dictionary definition is "not false or copied, genuine, real." It is easy to confuse 'authenticity' with 'originality' when it comes to popular music. I mean 'original' in the sense of new and inventive. These terms can bounce around in your head a lot

when going to a Lenny Kravitz show. The performance by LK in Oakland on Valentine's Day was not new or inventive but it was genuine and a whole lot of fun.

Lenny's music is unabashedly retro. His songs can

sound completely derivative of Steppenwolf, Jimi Hendrix or even Led Zeppelin, basically any 1970s hard-rock outfit. Perhaps LK's biggest hit,

American Woman, was originally written and performed by the Guess Who in 1970. Nevertheless, I think Lenny has an aura of authenticity because he doesn't deny these influences. His attitude in song and on stage is: 'This is me for good or bad.' OK, Maybe I am confusing authenticity with honesty. But there isn't a lot of either these days in popular culture where every reality star seems to have a scripted angle. So, LK's performance was refreshing in its familiarity.

Of course, it also doesn't hurt Lenny's popularity that he looks like a casting agent's dream of a rock star, like he walked out of a poster on to the stage. He's ready-made for superstardom. His good looks are also probably partly responsible for his appearances in popular movies including: Zoolander (one of the funniest movies in the past 10 years), The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and the currently released

The Hunger Games.

Many of Kravitz's songs are not that memorable even though he's had several hits, including Tuesday's highlights, American Woman, Always On the Run, It Ain't Over til It's Over and Let Love Rule. He performed them with zest and the crowd at the Fox Theater was ready and willing to be entertained. The sound quality was also remarkably good. I have complained regularly about the Fox but the mix was great throughout the theater. Also great was LK's horn section. I loves me a good horn section. So, overall, two thumbs up for the LK Retro and Proud show.

Wilco: Shut the F- Up

Wilco

The Fox Theater

Oakland, CA

January 31, 2012

Wilco: Shut the Fuck Up

There was a moment during Wilco's sold-out performance at the Fox that seemed to epitomize the band's ethos and music. Lead singer, writer, producer, all-round revolutionary and renaissance man, Jeff Tweedy, took the mic between songs and said: "We were looking around this beautiful room and we thought we should play all our tender and beautiful songs. But, we came out here and it seems like you all want to rock. But we're going to play our tender and beautiful songs anyway

because otherwise we wouldn't be true to ourselves. So, shut the fuck up." The crowd laughed and, after the following song, he apologized for telling everyone to shut the fuck up saying, "I don't know what got into me."

Wilco has long traded on Tweedy's unyielding artistic integrity and his beautiful and tender songs for both good and bad. He pens some of the most literate, melodic songs that you'll find anywhere. Catchy, intelligent, seriously good music. At the same time, he can indulge himself way too much at the expense of his fans. Wilco's new album, "The Whole Love," has been

characterized as "wildly experimental" which can also be read as "wildly weird" or, maybe,

"wildly indulgent." It gets to be called 'experimental' because Tweedy has a lot of spare artistic cred among the music cognoscenti. His plaintive, distinctive singing style and relaxed melodies leave little to dislike about Wilco.

There was also little to dislike about their performance. I think Wilco's live performances are a bit overrated but they put in a solid show last night including a good mix of old and new. The sound at the Fox continues to be sporadic. At times, it sounded muddy or closed in. You need to move around to find a good spot. This continues to be a source of disappointment for such a premier venue. There is no acceptable excuse for there to be anything less than crystal clear sound at a concert with all the sophisticated technology available. If the sound is no better than my computer speakers at home, why am I at the show?

Nevertheless, despite the flaws, the show gets two thumbs-up. Wilco's music is always interesting and fun and they also had a great light show. The stage was backed by several columns of ropes with randomly spaced white knots, like large dishrags tied to a rope. The white knots caught the colorful beams of light creating a psychedelic effect. Overall, a good start to 2012.

Highlights from last night: Impossible Germany, Heavy Metal Drummer, Theologians, Can't Stand It.

Foster the People: Pop is Not Dead

Foster the People

The Fillmore

San Francisco, CA

October 14, 2011

Foster the People: Pop is Not Dead

IF there is a viral band in the Indie Pop world, it is Foster the People. FTP is one of the hottest acts going right now. The Hipsters dig'em, the Tweens dig'em, the Bridge and Tunnel Crowd dig'em, the Old Folks dig'em. And their controversial hit "Pumped Up Kicks" is continuing to get massive airplay on dozens of Sirius channels. So, it was not a huge surprise that they sold-out two nights at the Fillmore in only minutes. My expectations were pretty high heading to the Fillmore despite the band's 2009 vintage and despite having one only album. Would FTheP live up to the hype? Spoiler Alert: Yes, they would. All props to FosterTP for bringing the goods.

Unfortunately, this MV&R Tale of the Tape begins with a cautionary note: Sheba Piano Lounge is a good Ethiopian restaurant but the two-hour delivery-time is not for those rushing to make showtime- unless, of course, you arrive 2 1/2 hours earlier or you really love Ethiopian food. But, once we bid adieu to the kids and arrived at the Fillmore, all was forgotten. And despite our tardiness, we still had to wait out the rather forgettable opening act, Reptar. Of course, that gave us and the rest of the crowd, a lively cross-section of Hipsters, Old Folks, Frat Boys, more time to get amped on Four Loko or Red Bull and vodka.

Once FosterTP hit the stage, there was plenty of

drunken pogo-dancing, hand-waving and singing along. Everything that makes a good show fun. FTP started with a high-energy, heavily rhythmic "Houdini" and proceeded to play the entirety of their one album over the next hour. Several songs did seem rather repetitive as if you could substitute a chorus from one song for the next and no one would notice. But, there were plenty of catchy hooks to go around. Mark Foster began his musical career writing advertising jingles and it can show from time to time. But the man can pen a damn good hook.

More importantly, the performance really rocked and was significantly more fun than their

somewhat tepid recordings. This always bodes well for an indie pop band's future. And it kept crowd's enthusiasm at fever pitch in great anticipation of the pumped-up Pumped Up Kicks that capped the show. It is still unclear to me whether the song about a high-school shooting is meant to be darkly ironic or a study in pathology. I don't think either view adequately explains the lyrics. In either case, it is dark but also catchy and whistle-y. And difficult to get out of your head while driving home from a damn good show.

Photo2: Senior Correspondent Edie H

Photo4: Award-winning photographer: Joe S

Bon Iver: WI Nite at the Greek

Bon Iver

Greek Theater

Berkeley, CA

September 22, 2011

Bon Iver: WI Nite at the Greek

There are few things better than a buddy emailing you at the last minute with an extra ticket to a sold-out concert at the Greek. You'd be a fool to go against the forces of nature and music. And I am no fool- unless I come up against someone cleverer or better educated or if I am tired, then I might have a daft moment. But I was not foolish enough to say No to an extra ticket to a sold-out concert by Bon Iver at the

Greek. So, the day after one of the godfathers of indie music, REM, announced their retirement, I moseyed up the hill to see what the future of indie music might look like. (Check out the MV&R review of REM's visit to the Greek in 2008.)

Wisconsin has its musical history and traditions: including Liberace, Al Jarreau, Robin Zander of Cheap Trick, Les Paul (inventor of the famed Les Paul electric guitar), the Violent Femmes, the author of this blog. Not necessarily listed in order of importance. And now a new entrant to build on the grand tradition of music, cheese and Packers: Bon Iver. Though BI only has two

albums, both have been released to great critical and popular acclaim. The band has performed at mega-festivals like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Glastonbury which is a pretty amazing feat for a band that plays largely quiet indie-folkie acoustic-based music that is frequently interspersed with psychedelic, jazzy bridges before the song structure returns. To give you an idea of both the artistic and poetic aspirations of BI, the first CD release party was held at House on the Rock in WI- an apt place for the band's music. Or you can also check out their hit, "Skinny Love."

Justin Vernon is the lead singer and songwriter for the band and sings about 70% of the songs in a falsetto which can be tiresome when listening to the recordings but is less so live. Still, I was unconvinced of the necessity of this when he's got a perfectly good singing voice that reminded

me vividly of Peter Gabriel (who also had a penchant for singing in falsetto when he wanted to get all vulnerable and expressive) - kind of Peter Gabriel in a flannel shirt around a WI campfire. I would prefer that Vernon sing in his normal voice. The songs are well-written, intelligent and melodic and the falsetto largely just comes off as an affectation.

Nevertheless, Bon Iver put on a lively, strong performance. There were 9 musicians on stage playing a large assortment of instruments and not a weak link among them. The band also brought along an excellent fog and light show. Running a fog machine for the duration of the concert was a tad redundant in the Bay Area but I can't count that as a complaint or criticism. If Bon Iver continues producing and performing music at this level, I think the indie music world will survive just fine in the post-REM world.

Thievery Corporation: Zion House Band

Thievery Corporation
The Fox Theater
Oakland, CA
September 16, 2011

Thievery Corporation: Zion House Band

First, let me say that Thievery Corporation has the best name in rock today. It is the perfect embodiment of the zeitgeist that we are currently living through as well as an apt description of the band's music. Thievery is a multicultural, multiracial band that looks and sounds like the future. They could be the house band for Zion, the last outpost of humanity in the Matrix film series.

TC's recordings are fairly laid-back, lounge-lizard amalgamations of pop, rock, jazz, reggae, Brazilian samba and rap with hints of Middle Eastern music or Punjabi Bhangra. However, the music really comes alive on stage and is presented in a much more upbeat, party-now-because-the-machines-are-coming-what-else-you-gonna-do fashion. Needless to say, it was a fun show.

I love the melodic hook of the sitar over the groovy baseline of "Lebanese Blonde," an early highlight on Friday, and the all-out funk of the "the Numbers Game." To me, it really sounds like a celebration of our multicultural world. I also loved TC's inclusion of Sly and the Family Stone's "Thank You (falettinme be mice elf again)." Perhaps a small homage to one of the first bands to tread this path back in the 1960s and 1970s. Both bands and their music are partly a celebration of the oneness of our diversity. So many flavors in this world, why limit yourself?

It is hard to think of Thievery as a duo when there are 10-12 people on stage and a constantly revolving group of singers fronting the band. The band did not play two songs consecutively with the same singer. Nevertheless, T. Corp. albums are the brainchildren of duo Rob Garza and Eric Hilton who enlist a talented crew of musicians when they hit the road. And last night at the Fox was no exception, the band was thoroughly professional and have got some serious chops.

All of that said, there were times where I felt that Thievery was missing something on stage. The band was so much about riding the perfect groove while a stew of funk and dance and jazz floats over the top that the melody can be lost in the mix. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a fun band to see live, you will have a hard time finding better.

Fleet Foxes: Derivations and Algorithms

Fleet Foxes
Greek Theater
Berkeley, CA
September 10, 2011

Fleet Foxes: Derivations and Algorithms

It is hard to be original in almost every creative art, including music. Music has definite rules and regulations. The sounds can't be random collections of noise or silence, a la John Cage, or it's not really music. John Cage's 4 minutes, 33 seconds of silence is more of a philosophical or artistic statement than, say, actual music. When a band takes the stage, each musician can't play in their own key or a different tempo. The discordant sounds just wouldn't make sense and it wouldn't be very pleasant to listen to. Absolute freedom simply results in anarchy. There's a lesson here for today's Tea Party that insists on the evils of all government rules. There must be harmony and structure for music which necessarily limits the amount of creativity. There must be boundaries for there to be meaning. OK, I'm not breaking new ground here but neither are the Fleet Foxes.

Of course, FF does more than pay homage to the harmonizing of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young or the Beach Boys (during their psychedelic phase), but not by much. This doesn't necessarily result in an unpleasant evening- especially on a warm Berkeley night at the Greek Theater. It's tough not to enjoy an evening of carousing with friends, pitchers of margaritas and a show at the Greek.

Lead Singer Robin Pecknold does a very good Graham Nash and the band's retro-folky psychedelic performance was solid and professional. They can't help it if they are such big fans of The Byrds, Strawberry Alarm Clock, CSNY, that they sound just like them. Besides, not many modern folk-indie outfits can sing harmonies quite as well as FF. This is music for campfires and late-nights in college dorm rooms.

You could do worse and believe me, I've seen far worse bands- which is a pretty backhanded compliment considering how much I enjoyed the concert. Even the retro designs and patterns on the large screen behind the band were a perfect match for the music and the evening. Of course, FF is all about stripping down the sound before building it back up, voice by voice, not excepting the simple algorithm of the 1995 Windows screensaver projected on the large screen.

The stripped down sound and 1960s sensibility does help to dilute FF's grander philosophical pretensions in the music's lyrics. Many songs comment on mankind's place in the universe and our relations to nature, ourselves and one another- the kinds of things that it's nice to hear young artists contemplating and expressing in their songs. And FF is a band of young artists. In fact, they have only been around 3 years. Hopefully, they will continue to develop and grow and, maybe even push the boundaries of their neo-indie folk harmonies.

Adele: Youthful Talent

Adele
Greek Theater
Berkeley, CA
August 14, 2011

Adele: Youthful Talent

Listening to Adele sing, it is easy to forget that she is only 23 years old. Of course, listening to Adele sing, it's difficult to forget that she is only 23 years old. This contradiction became more and more evident as her performance progressed at the Greek Theater in Berkeley two weeks ago. Adele is a rarity in the mightily fragmented music marketplace: a break-out star. She actually has been able to sell records! Loads and loads of records. Adele was won many awards and has been recognized both critically and commercially since her debut in 2008 when she was just 19 years old- which leads us back to the dichotomy of the Adele concert experience.

Listening to Adele's CDs, it is easy to hear the brilliance of her voice. She sings expressively with poise and confidence and crystal clear notes like an experienced professional well beyond her years. And listening to Adele sing live is even more amazing. She is just crazy, crazy good. Her voice soars and almost has a life-force of its own. Definitely no auto-tune. I think the experience must have been somewhat like earlier generations had when hearing Ella Fitzgerald or Barbara Streisand sing for the very first time. Undeniable talent. Adele will almost certainly become a legendary singer of her time and generation. And she is only 23 years old, that's what's easy to forget

And impossible to forget. Of course, the reason that it's impossible to forget her youth is the subject matter of her songs. So far, Adele has only recorded two albums of soul and R&B inspired jazz-pop, a la Norah Jones. Both her albums 19 and 21 are song after song about unrequited love, lost lost, longing and infatuation etc. It is a little like the diary of a teenage girl being sung aloud. If only he would look this way, oh, he looked at me, we could of had it all! No wonder she has such a devoted following among teenagers. However, when sung back to back, it becomes a bit tiresome. Except for that voice!

In fact, after listening to Adele live and then listening to some of her recordings later, I felt that the recordings only capture a small fraction of the quality of her voice. Despite the somewhat tedious nature of the songs, it was easy to get lost in her voice which made the concert great fun. That, and the total adoring devotion of her fans who sang along to every song with abandon. I would definitely recommend checking out Adele if you can just to hear her sing live, but, for me, it's not likely I will go again; at least, not until she grows up a little and her writing graduates from the adolescent puppy love phase. Then, she'll truly become a superstar for the ages.

Neko Case: NC Keeping It Real at the KF

Neko Case
The Knitting Factory
Reno, NV
July 5, 2011

Senior Reno Correspondent: Edie Hofmeister



Neko Case: NC Keeping It Real at the KF





Color of the night: Firecracker redhead
Drink of the night: Vietnamese Coffee (At least NC said she was high on that)
Theme of the night: Casual Intimacy

Fresh from headlining the High Sierra Music Festival, Indie rocker Neko Case played the Reno Knitting Factory on Tuesday night. Despite her High Sierra casual-osity (possibly fatigue?), her banged up 6-string guitar and dressed-down attire (NC wore jeans and a faded T), Neko sang movingly and in a deeply personal way about her life, loves, dreams and struggles. Harmonies were tight and songs were heartfelt and emotionally raw. From "Hold On, Hold On" to "Fever," her songs depicted her emotional journey from leaving home at 15 to later losing the loves of her life.

In range, style and age, Neko lands somewhere between Adele and Bonnie Raitt- which is not bad company. She was accompanied by a jamming band and a very solid, bluesy backup singer. Neko can sing a mean ballad and even managed a decent soprano falsetto, at one point, when singing about a flittering baby Sparrow.

Midway through her journey. the fiery redhead could not stop laughing throughout the song "Middle Cyclone." She jokingly labeled her bandmate the 'King of Divorce' and then the "George Thorogood of Divorce' for his three failed marriages. She tried to explain, "I don't know why 'George Thorogood,'" She chuckled, "I just imagine that everything he does is so... I don't know, wanky?" She blamed her loss of composure to Vietnamese Coffee but something else may have been at play.

The audience was swept along by NC and her band's own brand of fun and never wavered in their admiration and anticipation of the next song or offhand comment. My personal favorite of her observations: "I'd rather eat Cheetos in my car than be married to you."

In sum, a very good show, reminding us that the best moments at a show are often unscripted and the best artists are about being human.

My Morning Jacket: Plaidapalooza

My Morning Jacket
Fox Theater
Oakland, CA
June 24, 2011

My Morning Jacket: Plaidapalooza

Friday night at the Fox Theater was a sea of plaid. There was a veritable plethora of plaid, a ubiquitous statement of indie plaid style. Somehow, I had missed the memo and felt a little out of place with my plain solid blue shirt. I was also feeling the after-effects of a Sushi-coma when I arrived at the Fox. Nevertheless, I got swept up in the lively atmosphere of the sold-out crowd. After wisely positioning ourselves behind the US Olympic volleyball team, it was only a short wait until MMJ took the stage to the rapturous delight of the volleyball team and the adoring plaid fans.

I was half-expecting the band to be adorning Tartan kilts, but lead singer Jim James compensated for his criminal lack of plaid with a Grizzly Adams beard which properly established his and the band's indie bona fides. During the past 12 years, the Jacket has been slowly building their plaid audience with solid albums and solid performances with Jimmy J at the helm. JJ Is definitely the creative force and the star of the MyMJ show though he can tend toward the self-conscious 'Artist' - singing with a blue towel over his face or donning a cape as he did for the encore on Friday night. Still, his talent and MMJ's musical chops are undeniable.

I would say that this is a band destined for even bigger things but I fear that they may have plateaued, albeit at a substantial plateau. Despite recent fawning reviews, I found that the songs blurred together. Nearly every song is a mid-tempo anthem of U2-proportions. Each song is individually great but, as a collection, became less impressive. MMJ does arrange a nice set list that patiently builds throughout the evening, each song building on the previous and each crescendo more than the last. And the band occasionally jams during a song which was very welcome.

So, the concert was quite a lot of fun and I am glad that I went - partly because they performed a great version of "I'm Amazed," my favorite MMJ song. I also enjoyed the M. Ward cameo- a folkie singer-songwriter who is another critic darling- although I felt his ballad interrupted the concert's momentum. Nevertheless, on the morning after, I feel like the show and the band, despite the obvious quality, are still a work in progress that MMJ has not yet achieved their lofty potential or their lofty pretensions.


Final Photo: Award winning photographer Joe Santel

Ke$ha: Wild and Crazy Gal

Ke$ha
Grand Sierra Theater
Reno, NV
May 3, 2011


Ke$ha: Wild and Crazy Gal

Senior Reno Correspondent: Alexandra Sasse

Since her first hit "Tik Tok" was released, Ke$ha has set particular expectations for herself. All of her songs involve getting extremely drunk at wild parties, even throwing up in the closet of Paris Hilton. So, you would expect that she is not exactly normal and she isn't.

I had an amazing time at her recent Reno, NV concert, part of the Get Sleazy tour. Unfortunately, some guy named Beardo, probably a friend of Ke$ha's, came onstage as her opening performer. He was wearing pink tiger-striped leggings and was completely tone-deaf. This was the least enjoyable part of the show. Beardo also sang a Beastie Boys song "(You've Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Paaaaaaartay!), which was truly terrible. Beardo was a weirdo.

Fortunately, all things must pass and Beardo finally stopped singing. Soon Ke$ha appeared in a glowing silver diamond on a platform raised above the stage. Definitely better than an egg. The atmosphere was very lively, every audience member screaming as she belted out the chorus of "F**k Him, He's a DJ." There was a crazy amount of glitter flying everywhere from their hair as they jumped up and down and on stage buckets of glitter were thrown on Ke$ha. Most of the audience consisted of teenage girls wearing heavy amounts of eye makeup and fishnets to match Ke$ha's look on stage.

On stage, even weirder things were happening. Men in tight, glow-in-the-dark suits danced around Ke$ha as she tore apart a stuffed human doll and started eating the remains during "Cannibal" with red liquid (blood) pouring down her face. It was weird but exciting to watch.

She sang a mix of songs from her two albums Animal and Cannibal including the title tracks, "Animal," and "Cannibal" as well as "Get Sleazy," "Your Love is My Drug," "Tik Tok," "Dinosa," "We R Who We R," "Take It Off," "Blow," "Backstabber," "Blah, Blah, Blah," and "Dirty Picture." My favorite was "Animal," a very pretty song, that Ke$ha said was the best she ever wrote.

Contrary to popular belief, Ke$ha is not a terrible singer. She hit every note she sang, though admittedly most of her songs have a limited range. She also did much of her own synthesizing between songs. Maybe NPR was right and she really did get a 1600 on her SATs. During the concert she adjusted many dials and buttons on a platform to make adjustments to the sound.

It was the craziest concert I have ever attended but it was a blast. Ke$ha is not normal but the night was entertaining because she is remarkably wild.

Prince: His Purple Best

Prince

HP Pavilion

San Jose, CA

May 19, 2011

Prince: His Purple Best

When Prince started his Thursday night performance in San Jose with "1999," I had a feeling that it was going to be a good concert. Not only because it's a damn fun song, but also because the party, oops, is over, out of time today when the rapture arrives at 6 pm. (Of course, it is already passed 6 pm in most of Europe so no real rush to post this review.) Prince was at his Purple best playing hit after hit. His brand of Minneapolis funk and pop may sound dated given the mash-up, hip-hop, Lady Gaga world of 2011 but, the setlist of megahits and his performance prove that baby, he's a star.

It's been quite some time since I last saw a concert at a large arena. I guess Dave Matthews last year is the closest to the high-tech lights, large screens and confetti canons of arena shows that sometimes make me feel like the spectacle is to compensate for the music. However, for this Prince performance, I felt like the music held up to the production. Prince was backed up by the very talented Revolution and a consistently revolving collection of singers and dancers. The show on Thursday night was not sold out but Prince's fans are dedicated (incl. purple shirts, jackets, raspberry berets and Prince tattoos) and noisy.

Good fan appreciation always adds to the excitement of a show and when unannounced guest Sheila E came out and played her big hit "The Glamorous Life," the ovation was loud and long.

After "1999," Prince played "Little Red Corvette," "The Beautiful Ones," "Raspberry Beret," "Take Me With U," Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough," "Erotic City," "You Got the Look"(made famous by Sheena Easton) and ended with "Let's Go Crazy" which segued into "Delirious" and then back again. For almost every song, Prince changed outfits and during "Purple Rain," the aforementioned canons, shot plumes of

purple confetti that rained purple over the crowd. One odd song selection was when the backup singers gathered around the piano for a cover of Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love." Perhaps, a nod to their shared Minnesota roots.

Prince is also well known for extensive encores and he didn't

disappoint here either. He played 4 encores including a medley of hits that included "When Doves Cry," "Darling Nikki," and "Sign O The Times." I found the medley to be a bit of a tease since these songs were shortened when I wanted to hear extended versions. I suppose when you have 32 albums and as many hits, sacrifices have to be made. The final song of the night was a rousing version of one his funkiest best, "Kiss."

Prince is not a deep, existential performer writing melancholy songs for coffee-shop performances. These are party songs for party peeps to dance to and that's exactly what Prince delivered. Overall, a very fun night.

Elvis Costello: Wheel of Fortune

Elvis Costello
The Fox Theater
Oakland, CA
May 9, 2011

Elvis Costello: Wheel of Fortune

There may not be any current artist more Old School than Elvis Costello from his pork-pie hat to his square glasses and skinny tie, he is hipster personified. He literally writes the book, every day. Every day, he writes the book. Even more awesome is that he has the chops to back up the persona. There may not be a better songwriter around, having penned hundreds of literate, finely crafted songs, he has plenty to choose from when he gets on stage. However, on his current tour, he is leaving the song selection to his fans.

Over 25 years ago, Elvis toured with his Spinning Songbook when he invited audience members on stage to spin a wheel to select the band's next song. The idea is just as fun now as it was then. The stage on Elvis' current Spinning Songbook tour resembles a 1970s television game show, including a color test-pattern backdrop, a go-go cage and a large spinning wheel with the names of over 30 songs, covers and bonus spaces.

During the concert, a comely lass pulled people from the audience to spin the wheel and learn the fate of the show. Though adding a summer-carnival wistfulness to the show, we were all at the mercy of the wheel of fortune. You never knew what you were going to get. Despite the randomness of the wheel of fate, there was nary a bad song the entire evening. Still, when it came round to the encore, Elvis couldn't resist a helping hand on the wheel to make sure the right song was chosen.

After spinning the wheel, audience members were served a cocktail in the Society Lounge on stage and invited to dance in the go-go cage. Most gamely danced a little but one put on a full show that was perhaps a little too exuberant. As for Elvis, he is just a tremendous performer and his voice sounded great. He was accompanied by the Imposters who are a class act in their own right. It was night of pure quality. If you have even an inkling, you should go to the show.

One of the night's highlights was when the wheel landed on 'I Can Sing a Rainbow' which Elvis explained meant singing songs about colors which included his hit 'Red Shoes' which segued into 'Purple Rain' by Prince. When the wheel landed on, perhaps Elvis' biggest hit, 'Alison,' he threw in 'Wind Cried Mary' by Jimi Hendrix and 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow.' Even the bluesy, slower 'Pump it Up' in 6/8 time sounded great. When an artist as deeply talented as Elvis is hell-bent on having fun, it can be an invigorating ride.

Although it is only May, this show is definitely an early favorite for concert of the year.