Sunny Day Real Estate in ATL

Last night I was lucky enough to see the reunited original lineup of Sunny Day Real Estate play at Center Stage in Atlanta. This tour was announced several months ago, and at the time, I was very excited and had planned to buy tickets the minute they went on sale. Things didn't work out as planned, because the onsale date was in the middle of my move to Birmingham. The move caused me to forget all about the tour until a few days ago. The show was sold out, but my friend Brian and I were able to score two tickets via Craigslist at a slightly over face value price. My money is very tight right now, but this was something I could justify spending for. The show was every bit worth the money and the CL hassle. The band played as if they had never broken up or even stopped practicing. I don't think there was one note missed all night. It was seriously incredible. Here are some pictures along with the full set list:

SDRE, Center Stage in Atlanta, GA 10/3/09:

1. Friday
2. Seven
3. Shadows
4. Song About An Angel
5. Grendel
6. Guitar and Video Games
7. Iscarabaid
8. Theo B
9. (New Song)
10. 5/4
11. Sometimes

Encore:
12. In Circles
13. 48
14. J'Nuh

This Crooked Line

I took a day off work yesterday and went to see Elvis Costello play with his new backing band, The Sugarcanes, at the Ryman in Nashville, TN. This was my 3rd time seeing Elvis live, and just like the previous two shows, it was great. I had an unbelieveable seat (as pictured above) and the sound was perfect, which seems to be the standard for the Ryman. Elvis must be eschewing Rock 'N Roll time these days, because he took the stage at 7:37pm with an advertised start time of 7:30pm. I appreciated the gesture since I always arrive to shows early. The bluegrass/roots style of the new record translated incredibly well in the live setting. The set list was comprised of most of the tracks from Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, rearranged versions of classics ("Blame It On Cain", "Brilliant Mistake", "Every Day I Write The Book", "Little Palaces", "Indoor Fireworks", "American Without Tears", "Alison", "What's So Funny..."), and covers of "Friend Of The Devil", "Femme Fatale", and "The Race Is On". I certainly never thought I'd hear Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground, and George Jones covers all in one set. The show ran close to three hours, and at the end I still wanted more. The drive back seemed like it would never end. I got in a good 2 and a half hour nap before arriving at work this morning. That kind of drive in one night probably sounds crazy to most people, but great shows are worth the effort.

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I've seen several other shows since I last updated, including The Avett Brothers, Wilco, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy, and Bon Iver. Those were all enjoyable. I also went down to Foley/Gulf Shores to visit The Mann's, which is always a good time. It looks like I'll be back down twice in July. It's good to have things to look forward to. Perhaps the updates will be less sporadic in the coming weeks.

Wild Month.

I've neglected this blog as of late because of several events that I currently don't desire to write about.

I finally saw Neko Case over the weekend.

(The venue did not allow photography, so here's a generic live shot.)
She has one of the most powerful voices, male or female, that I've ever witnessed in a live setting. The set list was a bit too heavy on her new record, but I guess that was to be expected after it debuted at #3 on Billboard a few weeks ago. I'll definitely be seeing her again in the future.

Speaking of live music, here is my "schedule" for the rest of April:

Sat. 4/18 - Dinosaur Jr. @ Proud Larry's in Oxford, MS
(Leaving early for Oxford cuisine and Record Store Day, then staying overnight and hopefully visiting Rowan Oak on Sunday)
Wed. 4/22 - Wilco @ Sloss Furnace
Fri. 4/24 - Off With Their Heads @ a bar in Huntsville
Sat. 4/25 - The Avett Brothers @ Sloss Furnace
Sun. 4/26 - Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band @ Phillips Arena in Atlanta, GA

Get Out Another Blanket

It is getting colder, and I don't like it one bit.

Last Saturday there was a great show at Cave Nine featuring Have Heart, Blacklisted, Ceremony, Let Down, Swamp Thing, Serotonin Gone, and Delusional. The show sold out and was consistently wild. I can tell that working all the time is having an effect on how much I enjoy shows. I certainly hadn't slept enough before this one and it showed. Kids were rushing the door to get in at one point, and I most definitely snapped at them and yelled...not something I normally do. I always thought that patience would get easier as I got older but it looks like that is not the case. There were also quite a few kids who attempted to sneak in by just walking past me or by drawing bogus marks on their hands. What a fucking bummer. I can understand being bummed about having to miss the bands you love, but putting an all ages venue at risk over it? If any of you are reading this, which I doubt, you should take advice from the Beastie Boys and check your head. Scamming your way into a hardcore show is just as bad as stealing from the club and the bands. Why would that even cross your mind? I straight up can't believe that I had to get on the mic and say something about it for the SECOND time in my history as a promoter. Bands from all over the country rave about Cave 9 and the support that our scene gives them while they are on tour. Why fuck with that? I was only able to watch Blacklisted and Have Heart from the side of the stage, and they both killed it. It may have been the best set I have seen BL play...seems like I say that every time I see them, though. Those sets lifted my spirits.

The Alabama Crimson Tide was busy pounding Tennessee's Volunteers as the show went on. The final score was 29-9. Thanks to everybody who sent me texts and kept me updated. That highlight reel might not have been a thing of beauty to the mainstream sports media, but it was exactly the kind of football we need to keep playing. I'll be skipping out on the homecoming festivities for a trip to Foley to see some of my best friends and wish their son a happy 1st birthday. I am looking forward to catching up, seeing the ocean, and eating seafood. All talk in Bama Nation seems to be centered on the LSU game next week, which is a huge mistake. I've been avoiding talk radio the past few days because of this. Obviously, fan talk does not truly matter, I am just always concerned with how much of that our players hear and if it is a factor in how they prepare for the game. Here's hoping that they realize that the team they are playing on Saturday, Arkansas State, has shown that they can put up points and compete.

Recent playlist:
Jenny Lewis - "Acid Tongue"
Beach House - "Self Titled"
Morrissey - Various
Blacklisted - "Heavier Than Heaven..."
Murder City Devils - "In Name And Blood"

Man The Change

Sometimes, as an avid music fan, I tend to let new artists and bands I discover overshadow some of what I would call my "old standards." One that I've unfortunately let slip through the cracks over the past few years is Hot Water Music. This is a personal recollection of discovering the band and revisiting their catalog later.



I first got into HWM a year or so before graduating from high school. The thank you lists of many albums I owned had their name on it, and reviews of stellar live performances were scattered across the pages of zines I had collected. One day I was browsing CD's at Tuscaloosa's legendary Vinyl Solution (R.I.P.), and came across a copy of "No Division." I decided to take a chance and buy it that day. I remember being blown away after the first listen. They had a really unique sound that I felt was described inaccurately by all of the press I'd read about them. The rough vocals went into great melodies out of nowhere. It was a different breed of punk that I could not slap a label on. It was inspiring and exciting to me, musically and lyrically. I listened to it all the time, and quickly ordered the rest of their material from No Idea Records. My first package from No Idea came with some really random stuff along with the CD's, like a miniature toy skateboard and a Ninja Turtles trading card. "Fuel for The Hate Game" and "Forever and Counting", and the single tracks that make up "Never Ender" quickly got just as many spins as "No Division" in my CD player. I was definitely hooked.

My time frame here is a bit fuzzy, but the band signed to Epitaph and released "A Flight And A Crash" around the summer of my senior year of HS and the beginning of my stint at the University of Alabama. I got to see the band twice in that time period. The first time was at the Boiler Room, an awesome venue that was located on the North Side of Downtown Birmingham. I will never forget piling a few of my best friends in my mom's Buick and driving to that show. I am sure we looked completely ridiculous when we pulled up. The Boiler Room was essentially a HUGE open room, and even the most crowded shows there looked half empty. The turnout for that particular show was great, though. I was up front sweating and screaming the whole time. I have a flier for it somewhere at my parent's house which will be scanned and posted if I come across it. The second show I caught was sometime during my first year of college, and was with Less Than Jake and Bad Religion at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. They opened the show with a set mostly made up with songs from "A Flight...." and a couple of classics. I remember being a little let down, but they sounded great.

"A Flight and A Crash" and "Caution" both did very little for me. They are decent records, but neither grabbed me like any of the four that got me into the band. They also released "The New What Next" later on, which I might have listened to once. Fast forward a few years and plays here and there, and those records that once spoke to me in a big way are just sitting on the shelf. The news of their break up or reformation didn't spark me to start listening again, either. I was sitting at work recently thinking about how much fun I had in that particular time period, and out of nowhere, a line from the song "Our Own Way" popped into my head. "...There will be times when it will seem like we are caught someplace in between the ocean and the storm without a shore." Just like that, a band I thought of as a soundtrack to a youthful transition spoke to me again. I might have made a mistake by letting those records sit stagnant for a while, but maybe I just needed to let those lines and melodies age a bit to help me out at an even more confusing time. Simply put, I had a much better outlook on life when I got into Hot Water Music. I was excited to be starting college, excited for every single show I attended, and nothing seemed routine. Things change, and there is no way to escape that. Here's to records that bring my mind back to a place where those changes could be for the better.