FIELD NOTES: live music

Showing posts with label live music. Show all posts

Sunday, May 2, 2010

May Day!!!

"In many countries, May Day is synonymous with International Workers' Day, or Labour Day, a day of political demonstrations and celebrations organised by unions and other groups. May Day is also a traditional holiday in many cultures."

Thanks Wikipedia!!!

My May Day was insane - it involved a very ridiculous night at work followed by an awesome show at the Empty Bottle.
First up, friend Nathan Lilley's band, Call me Lightning from Milwaukee fucking slayed.

Then was Harlem - the reason I was so grumpy today....5 hours sleep between shifts at work is not nearly enough.
I only caught 4 songs before I physically couldn't stand anymore but the first 4 songs were fucking amazing!!!

Black and White style
I hate red lights - note to all dudes doing lights at shows...I HATE RED LIGHTS!!!
I feel like this blog has become "what's happening at the Empty Bottle" updates.
I need to get outside my comfort zone this week for sure.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Guilty Pleasure

Last night Ashleigh and I went to the Congress to see one of my total guilty pleasures GOGOL BORDELLO!!!

photo from the balcony on my cell phone

What I love about this band is that it's non-stop fun. Last time I saw them play in Vancouver it was to less than 1000 people and it was still total mayhem - I probably lost like 5lbs dancing for 2 hours. This time they played to over 3000 people and it was totally jaw-droppingly-awesome. Seeing 3000 people start jumping and dancing when the band starts the first note of Wonderlust King made me smile so much my face hurt.

I assume the same sort of thing happens when Girl Talk or Passion Pit play a sold out show at the Congress but I also assume that those 3000 people are douchebags (I actually think Passion Pit played to like 4500 people)

Don't get me wrong, I hate hippies. I saw no less than 20 girls wearing jeans under their skirts and at least 6 dudes with face tattoos, but everyone was just there to have a good time - no one was trying to prove they were into whatever was the newest coolest thing to like. In fact I feel shameful for how much I totally love this band - no one thinks you're cool for listening to gypsy punk.

photo stolen from flickr

my love of mustaches and accordions knows no end

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Happy Record Store Day!

Yesterday was the 3rd annual Record Store Day and was a huge success (according to me)

Love of Tuning - Reckless in the loop bright and early

kinda the best line up ever

The singer from Rise Against was signing autographs at the store all afternoon and before we left I totally scored a photo with him - 17 year old me was stoked
also regular me - this is photoshop face me

perfectly good dumpster sombreros

somebody (mainly Ashleigh) was not stoked to find out that these were found in an alley

friends festively enjoying Record Store Day at the Reckless on Broadway

Head of Sombreros!
just watching Noah drum makes me exhausted

Regress reunion at Reckless (5 points of alliteration)

Maximum Wage at Death or Glory
I love this band - and I also now enjoy this record store which has an adorable half address.
Who wouldn't want to go to 2557 1/2 W.Chicago Ave.

BIG WINNERS!
Bobby and John won some records

this kid won a horribly scratched copy of Ride the Lightning
stoked!

Tyler Jon Tyler - kinda becoming my new favourite Chicago band

Final show of the day - Disappears at the Empty Bottle
for their release of LUX

every band is better with Jeanine

This felt like the longest day of my life - it was like SXSW all over again, what with the playing and running around town to see all your friends play too.
3 cups of coffee was just not enough to get me through it all - half way into Disappears I was enjoying it with my eyes closed..not because I was sooo into it, but because I physically couldn't keep them open any longer.

I can't wait for next Record Store Day!!

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Brought to you by the letter B

Oh April - you are so AWESOME

On Friday night Bobby, Eric and I went up to the Metro to see Beach House!!!

As I was throwing out the 30 empty cans from the night before in the recycling, I saw this old mirror up against a building. Our alley is always full of cool shit.

Hanging out with the kids right up at the front
This was the best photo I took - I was not stoked on the lighting..especially cause Dan was in the dark

Beach House Dance Party!!

hanging out at the Gingerman after the show with friends
Bobby found someone who can drink beer as fast as him - yay

Holy shit!!!
If you live in Chicago and have ever tried to see a show at the Metro (especially if there's a cubs game) you understand how fucking epic this parking spot is.

I think I saw Beach House years ago at the Media Club in Vancouver and didn't even know who they were and they didn't hold my attention at all. After hearing Norway from Teen Dreams this year I was like 'holy shit Beach House rules' - then I heard Zebra and it was game over...I was in love.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Again and Again

It seems like I've been stalking the Black Lips - but I couldn't resist seeing them again in Chicago. I love hyperbole, but for real this was 100% the best show I've seen since at least 2008.

It's been forever since I've seen an entire crowd of people singing along to every song and losing their minds because they love the band. Plus the mosh pit was epic, it never tired.

I personally was in it, right up at the front, for the first 4 songs anyway. Unfortunately I was wearing inappropriate shoes and couldn't last much longer. But my favourite part of the night was when I was getting out some kid looked at me and said 'WOW I can't believe your glasses are still on" to which I replied, "I'm a veteran" - I felt old and awesome all at the same time.

by Andrea Bauer

"Musicians are the guys who sell you strings at Guitar Center. I'm an entertainer." - Ian Saint Pé

stolen off flickr

This photo of Pete totally makes me smile - After what was my favourite show of 2010 everyone went to Longhorn and Slim's (aka Longman and Eagle) drank until they blacked out, showed their penis to dudes in flannel pj's, and danced.
Then we went back to Regrets to meet up with friends, Bear Hands and weird strangers.
What a fucking night.
Wish I brought my camera.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

September?

It's October 1st already and I haven't had one thing to post for an entire month?

That can't be true, I blame laziness. Here's a recap of all that was awesome in September.

(totally rad sunshine by me)

We had Sunshine - and that was awesome!

Infact a lot of days in September were way better than all of summer

(photo by me)

see - look at the fucking beach

(photo by Mahmood)

I also got to go to my first White Sox game!

(sexy photo by Derek Walker)

Vacations played a fucking awesome show - every time they play they get even better. So much fun!

(rad photo by me)

Got to see a lot of friends at the Beat Kitchen for Owen and even made 2 new ones. I manged to interrupt the show to get Mike to ask if Melody was in the crowd, but then I couldn't see her and like a bunch of people raised their hands, then I looked like a fool. Oh well, the show was great as always.

New Owen video with Bobby and I + my 2 new friends Dan and Lindsay :)

(great photo by John Sturdy)

A couple days later at the Empty Bottle was local sweethearts Old Fake opening for Wavves

(pretty good photo by John Sturdy)

Wavves - Nathan Williams with Zach Hill on drums

best description of the show goes to Jason Stoops,
'serious gap in skillz'

(awesome photo by John Sturdy)

Next night, a totally sold out free Monday at the bottle for Davila 666 and these kids Smith Westerns. They totally ruled, but I was exhausted and didn't stick around for Davila, sorry dudes, I missed you back in July too.

(stolen photo by Tommy Au)

Almost had to go to These Arms Are Snakes alone, but luckily found a friend who 'didn't hate them'

Not going to lie, I fucking LOVE seeing Steve's skinny, sweaty body jump onto a crowd of screaming 17 year olds.

(this photo was stolen off flickr and actually taken in Vancouver, I gotta start bringing my camera to shows again)

(photo by me)

ever heard of Death?

If not, get into it.

(iphone photo by Hannah Adams)

The last weekend of September was full of awesome shit I didn't get to do because I had to work. However, Bobby got to see Beach House/hang out with Beth, see The Oh Sees and went to see Danny do stand-up finally.

But on Monday something even more awesome happened:
Bobby and I got to play a show!!

It's been almost an entire year since we played together in Chicago and I must say that it was about 10,000,000,000 times better!!!

I'm going to make a serious effort to update more in October..and maybe even convince Bobby to post something as well.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Freiburg, Germany

Guten tag!

So day one of our million day tour was so perfect that everything else is just going to be a disappointment. Well, hopefully not, but seriously major fun and awesome times. Here are some of the highlights of Day 1.

the international terminal at O'Hare is a joke

SARS

Bird Flu

H1N1

we beat the system by taping our sleeping bags together and thus only checking 2 pieces each which, by the way, were FREE! Air India rules - don't let that 1985 bombing fool you.