JayeL Audio

photo courtesy of the co-King of Pops

Considering it was a Monday night show, I can’t imagine too many other bands who could have got the Masquerade rowdy like Cut Copy did. After arriving just before 9:30pm showtime, all I saw was people dancing or moving from the first note til the last. Its pretty much impossible not to move when “Lights and Music” hits.
Besides keeping the diverse crowd jumping, the Aussies actually put on a trippy, psychedelic spectacle with an oddball LED doorway in center-stage that showcased everything from exploding potted plants to what looked like gypsies and/or sun goddesses. An extra long jam session on “So Haunted” and the New Order/Talking Heads influence of new tracks like “Pharaohs and Pyramids” and “Sun God” were a pleasant surprise I wasn’t expecting. Old favorites like “Saturdays”, “Hearts on Fire” and new floor burners “Need You Now”, “Take Me Over” and “Corner of the Sky” kept the sweat coming though and were clear standouts.
I could have used “Far Away”, “Feel the Love” and “Strangers In the Wind”, but there really wasn’t much to complain about. The concise arrangements and hilarious dance movements by lead singer Dan Whitford made my first Monday concert one I wanted to relive 5x more.
Set List (via Masquerade’s Facebook)
Visons/Nobody Lost
Where I’m Going
So Haunted
Corner Of The Sky
Lights and Music
Take Me Over
Pharaoahs and Pyramids
Saturdays
Hearts On Fire
Sun God
Encore
Need You Now
Out There On Ice

Last weekend, was one of the better musical weekends I’ve ever had. Local Natives did exactly what I hoped they would: Wow the sell out crowd with harmonies that result in group sing-a-longs. Matt & Kim also did precisely what I wished: Have everyone dancing from start to end and smile the entire show. The spare moments when they threw in interpolations of “The Final Countdown”, “Shimmy Shimmy Yea”, “Just a Friend” and a bat-shit rendition of “Better Off Alone” were priceless. Be sure to send your traveling JayeL Hat photos….

In other news, Dr. Dre co-hort Dawaun Parker sent on his first track as an artist and its right up my alley. Not sure why he decided to build things up with 3-4 e-mails prior to the release of the actual track, but we’ll let it slide this time.
Dawaun Parker – Lost (produced by Dr. Dre & Dawuan Parker)

The rest of the concerts I attend in 2010 have a lot to live up to. Jay-Z nearly tore the roof off Philips Arena when The Blueprint 3 Tour rolled thru Atlanta, GA on Saturday.
The Scene
Having never seen Jay-Z in concert before (besides the 20+ viewings of “Fade to Black”), I was more than amped for Saturday night. The last arena rap show I attended was probably Anger Management 2 tour with Eminem, Xzibit and Ludacris, so I was due. Our seats were two rows from the floor, directly across from the stage, which turned out to be a near-perfect elevated view of the Blueprint 3 spectacle.
This Is Roc Nation Pledge Your Allegiance
Jay-Z got things off the a fiery start from the opening beat of “Run This Town” as he triumphantly rose from the center of the stage. If it weren’t for his backing band, Roc Boys, the beat wouldn’t have even been audible from the crowd’s eruption to welcome the Jigga man. BP3′s current single, “On To The Next One” received a wild response as Philips Arena bounced with every note while the video played on the giant, tier screens behind the band. Hits came fast and furious as Memphis Bleek played hypeman on classics like “U Don’t Know”, “I Just Wanna Luv You”, and “99 Problems”, which sounded extra fitting with the Roc Boys’ drum section.
Allow Me To Reintroduce Myself
Jay made sure to get the crowd involved before the end of his enigmatic first set. I definitely wasn’t expecting to hear “Jigga My N****”, but it was exactly the call and response track the audience was looking for answering each of “whats my mutha*****’ name?”. “Jigga What? Jigga Who?” possibly had the crowd at its most boisterous until “PSA” followed and had each attendee throwing up “the Roc”. That Just Blaze production just seems so fitting in that type of setting. Singer Bridget Kelly fantastically played the substitute for “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love)” and “Empire State Of Mind” while the NYC buildings played the background. Even opener Trey Songz helped out admirably subbing for Kid Cudi on “Already Home”. I pretty much would have got my money’s worth if we would have stopped right there.
Its Understood, I Do It For My Hood
Young Jeezy entered to a rowdy, hometown greeting to help Mr. Carter with “As Real As It Gets” and proceeded thru a 30 minute set of his own hits. Though Jeezy’s coarse voice isn’t as microphone friendly as Jay’s, he still could learn a few things from S. Carter (the Plies guest appearance didn’t help things). There were definitely some die hards in the crowd reciting lyrics to some of his lesser known album cuts, but the energy couldn’t match Jay-Z’s first set. Young Jeezy finished strong though with “Go Crazy”, “Soul Survivor” and “Put On” before handing the festivities back to Hova.
Can’t Wear Skinny Jeans…
Jay-Z came back just in time to rescue the momentum he built off the first set, giving his choice guest spot on “My President Is Black”. The pro-Obama theme continued with a quick clip of the President “brushing off” his shoulders and set the crowd off in a frenzy for a spirited rendition of “Dirt Off Your Shoulders”. I’m not sure which set I liked best, but the second certainly had more surprises and was possibly more raucous. Unfortunately, there was no T.I. appearance for “Swagga Like Us”, but “Thank You” was punctuated by Jay’s accapella verse directed at disrespectful peers and aptly lead to “Haters”.
Can I Get An Encore, Do You Want More?
Highlights kept coming at a rapid pace as Jay & Memphis Bleek traded bars on a medley that ran thru everything from “Fiesta” to “Excuse Me Miss Pt. 2 (La La La)” to perhaps most surprising, the remix to Mya’s “Best of Me”. Mr. Carter exclaimed “I got a millions of these!”, that statement couldn’t be truer. “Can I Get A…” and “Big Pimpin’” turned Philips Arena into an all out party as he let the crowd handle Pimp C’s verse, while swinging shirts like Carnivale. Jay-Z closed the show for true fans “who’d been down since ’96″ with Reasonable Doubt cuts, “Can I Live” and “Can’t Knock the Hustle”. The Roc Boy’s band brought out the horns and made “Can I Live” one of my favorites of the night. Before dropping “Encore” from The Black Album, he made sure to let his fans know he’s not jaded and appreciates his fans. He even called out specific people in the audience who were rocking with him for the entire show. Not something I’ve seen at a big name, hip-hop concert before. “Dynasty” symbols and arms raised while Jay-Z finished a great night in dramatic fashion.
Summary
I’m not saying I won’t ever attend an arena hip-hop concert again, but if I do, it will most like be to see Shawn Carter again. His performance was the best by a rapper that I’ve witnessed and nearly top in any genre. I’m not sure why it took me so long to see a Jay-Z concert, but my hip-hop greats concert lists is nearly complete.
-Jay-Z
-Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg
-Eminem
-Ice Cube
-DMX
-Nas
-The Roots
-OutKast

More photos from The Blueprint 3 Tour here (courtesy of AJC and Rob D. Cohen)

Edit this setlist | More Jay-Z setlists

Hopefully, you already have your tickets. Vonnegutt will be opening for Heavy Mojo and Hollyweerd (i like the new Van Halen-esqe logo) tomorrow, Nov. 6th at The Loft in Midtown ATL. Kyle promised that the guys will be performing most of their debut, Falling Up The Stairs and I’m sure some of the covers they’ve been tearing through.

Join me at the Loft tomorrow at 8:30 (doors at 8pm). Buy tickets here or $18 at the door.
Vonnegutt – On My Side (demo)
Vonnegutt – Bright Eyes
Kyle Lucas – Purple Ribbon Representative (DJ Booth Freestyle)

My own personal music fest continued Friday, when Laura and I headed to the Masquerade for Round 2 of Kyle Lucas and Vonnegutt. There was some confusion as to when the band’s set would take place, but it gave me a chance to check out The Status.

After a great set by The Status, Vonnegutt revved up a decent size “Hell” crowd of friends and loyalists. The festivities started with first single “Here We Go Again” and burned through the Vice Nine EP. Vonnegutt got great responses (and sing-a-longs) from updated editions of cuts like “Bright Eyes” and new track penned by Neil. This was the first show that I saw Taylor on the drums and he played about as hard as you can. The chemistry was pretty obvious with Patrick, Neil and Kyle. Energy reached a fever pitch when Kyle asked the crowd to show their hearts as the band launched into the ever-improving cover of Kanye West’s “Heartless”. All in all, a great night at the Masquerade for only $8. Not too shabby.

I suppose Big Boi is waiting on his solo to drop, but its really about time Vonnegutt’s debut was released. Or at the very least, the band should be getting more promo. I mean, the band seems to be doing everything they can from free interviews, free downloads, ASCAP Showcases and they are available on every social networking tool there is. Obviously, I’m no label head or manager, but it just seems like there should be more buzz around these guys. After seeing Asher Roth’s performance last week, if he can gain fame by running around and shouting into a mic off 1 single, these guys could definitely show him a thing or two about rocking a show.

Vonnegutt – 8/7/09 – The Masquerade
1. Here We Go Again (Repeat Offender)
2. Ex-Girlfriends Are
3. Moving On
4. Shaky Love
5. On My Side
6. Bright Eyes
7. Ode To What’s Left of Hope (new!)
8. Heartless (Kanye West cover)
9. Final Fantasy

Be sure to check out Vonnegutt at these upcoming shows:
8/21 – The Neighborhood Theatre – Charlotte, NC
9/24 – Arlene’s Grocery – New York, NY
9/26 – Northeastern University – Boston, MA

Neil Garrard – Mirando remix

There was quite a response from my post about the latest Girl Talk live bootleg, Live at Yale.  So much in fact that, track 6 (“I’m Ill) was the most popular song on the Hype Machine for a day (yes, if I had glasses, I would push them up now).  A pretty big deal for me anyways, so thanks to the Hype Machine, its readers, the bootleggers and Mr. Greg Gillis aka Girl Talk.

The people who were gracious enough to comment asked for postings of the rest of the bootlegs I had.  Thanks to iamsoseriou, I now have 5 out of 6.  If anyone has Girl Talk’s Live at Bonnaroo ’07, please send it my way.

Girl Talk Murders Seattle (Thanks to iamsoserio.us)
*Sample: Girl Talk – What Its All About

Live at Capitol Hill Block Party (Thanks to iamsoserio.us)

Live at Camp Bisco ’07
*One big .mp3 file. If anyone wants to cut it up, be my guest.

Live at All Points West ’08
*Sample: Girl Talk – Roc Android

Live at Yale’s Spring Fling (Thanks to freeculturemusic)

Below is the video that started it all for me, Live at Empty Bottle in ’07.

At this point, I may be one of the few people who care about this, but another Girl Talk concert bootleg is loose on the internets.  Greg Gillis unleashed a party at Yale’s Spring Fling this April and freeculturemusic found it worthy enough for the masses.

Wikipedia now lists 6 live Girl Talk bootlegs and I’ve collected 4 so far (if anyone has Live at Bonnaroo ’07 and Capitol Hill Block Party, send them my way please).  I know I played Girl Talk Murders Seattle to death in anticipation of Feed the Animals.  Hopefully, this will satisfy your hunger for Girl Talk.  At the very least, it’ll allow you to reminisce over any recent tour stops you’ve attended.

Download Girl Talk Live @ Yale’s Spring Fling here.

Girl Talk – I’m Ill (Track 5)
Girl Talk – Swagga Like Us (Track 6)

And for the record: Night Ripper > Feed the Animals.

Girl Talk Tour Dates:
6/12 – Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN
6/19 – The Grove of Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
7/2 – Rothbury – Rothbury, MI
7/11 – Quebec Intl Summer Fest – Quebec City, Quebec
7/12 – LeBreton Flats – Ottawa, Ontario
7/25 – Wanderlust Festival – Lake Tahoe, CA
8/1 – Osheaga Festival – Montreal, Quebec
8/7 – Summer Sonic Festival – Tokyo, Tokyo
8/8 – Summer Sonic Festival – Osaka, Osaka
8/28 – Street Scene – San Diego, CA
9/12 – Monolith Festival – Morrison, CO
9/16- McDonald Theatre – Eugene, OR
10/4 – Austin City Limits - Austin, TX

I almost didn’t make it, due to a car accident, but Black Kids did exactly what I hoped they would on Friday night at The Loft.  Since they’ve have been performing hits from Partie Traumatic/Wizard of Ahhz for the past 2 years, it wasn’t too surprising that the band sounded near perfection.

Reggie Youngblood and crew greeted the crowd to a chorus cheers before opening with an energetic edition of “Listen To Your Body Tonight”.  Reggie’s faux British accent was in full effect, while mesmorizing the audience in between songs and belting favorites.

Similar to Mates of State, I’m pretty sure bands with guy/girl line-ups are some of the most entertaining I’ve witnessed.  It was clearly Reggie’s show, but Dawn Watley and Ali Youngblood’s efforts on keys and vocals were the perfect complement.  On “I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again)” and “Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)”, its was hard to take my eyes off those 2 ladies.

Just when you thought Black Kids gave everything they had closing with “I’m Not Gonna….”, their encore proved the band knows how to rock a crowd.  Reggie and guitarist Owen Holmes started with the ukulele featuring cut, “You Only Call Me When You’re Crying”, from their brand new EP, Cemetery Lips.  The crowd clearly enjoyed the most subdued performance of the night, but not as much as the fully staffed hits, “I Wanna Be Your Limousine” and “Hurricane Jane”.  I never thought of “Hurricane Jane” as a show closer, but I was totally blown away by the added energy of the live performance.

Set list:
1. Listen To Your Body Tonight Play Video
2. I’ve Underestimated My Charm (Again) Play Video
3. Partie Traumatic
4. Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo) Play Video
5. I Took Her Love For Granted (Hefner cover)
6. Hit the Heartbrakes Play Video
7. My Christian Name Play Video
8. New Song Play Video
9. I’m Making Eyes At You Play Video
10. I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance With You Play Video
Encore:
11. You Only Call Me When You’re Crying Play Video
12. I Wanna Be Your Limousine
13. Hurricane Jane Play Video

Thanks to Tessa for the tix and Mrs Oshimbo for the videos and set list.

Buy Black Kids – Cemetary Lips here.

Even though I won’t be attending, this is what I get excited about, Lollapalooza ’09.  Other people I know will enjoy it for me…and most likely make me jealous enough to try again in 2010.  As I’ve mentioned before, Depeche Mode, Tool and Jane’s Addiction aren’t headliners that I can get excited about.  However, the Killers, Beasties and Kings of Leon are all more than worth your while.

What: Lollapalooza 2009

When: August 7th – 9th

Where: Grant Park in Chicago, IL

Headliners: Beastie Boys, Depeche Mode, Jane’s Addiction, the Killers, Kings of Leon, Tool

Artist Highlights: Ben Harper and the Relentless7, Thievery Corporation, Snoop Dogg, Rise Against, Andrew Bird, TV on the Radio, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Neko Case, Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Of Montreal, Arctic Monkeys, Ben Folds, Fleet Foxes, Silversun Pickups, Kaiser Chiefs, Crystal Castles, Bon Iver, Santigold, Atmosphere, Dan Auerbach, Cold War Kids, Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn John, Heartless Bastards, Gomez, Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, Ra Ra Riot, Asher Roth, Friendly Fires, Sam Roberts Band, Kevin Devine, He Say She Say, KiD CuDi, Car Stereo (Wars), MSTRKRFT, Hercules and Love Affair (DJ Set)

Tickets: 3-Day passes are $190.  Single Day passes TBD.  On sale now

My Take: Normally, in “artist highlights” I only list the artists I know or like.  Did you notice the massive list (130 total) for this fest?  WHOA.  I had myself convinced that Bonnaroo had a better lineup until I typed that up (Nice to see they added Janelle Monae though).  If people get over the fact that Lollapalooza ’09 just doesn’t have the headliners they had in ’08 (Rage, Wilco, NIN, Radiohead, Kanye), they’ll realize how amazing this lineup is.

The “mid-level” artists far exceed last year’s offering (and thats saying something).  I’m sure Ben Harper has headlined something in the past.  Vampire Weekend, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, Band of Horses, Ben Folds and The Decemberists sell out constantly.  I can totally see Fleet Foxes perform on one of those shady stages.  Santigold, Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, Atmosphere and Dan Auerbach will absolutlely rip Grant Park.  And they managed to satisfy bloggers with Heartless Bastards, Animal Collective, Bon Iver, KiD CuDi and a Hercules & Love Affair DJ set.

The only real surprise was Snoop Dogg and the omission of Girl Talk.  He gets a lot of hate for his recent work, but you can bet the masses will be singing the classics right along with Mr. Broadus.  As for Girl Talk, well, there is always hope he gets added later.  Mid-May ’08, the likes of Iron and Wine, Saul Williams, and Toadies joined the bill.

Did I mention I’m not going? Shiz.

Check this video for a Car Stereo (Wars) mash-up of the lineup.  If this is what he’s crafting now, I’ll take back all the bad things I’ve been saying about him.

Ben Harper – Fool For A Lonesome Train

He Say She Say – Crash Dummie

Arctic Monkeys – When the Sun Goes Down

The Decemberists – Sons & Daughters

Dan Auerbach – My Last Mistake

MSTRKFRT – Bounce ft N.O.R.E.

Vampire Weekend – Everywhere (Fleetwood Mac cover)

Lykke Li – Little Bit (Death to the Throne Remix)

Hercules and Love Affair – You Belong

Band of Horses – No One’s Gonna Love You

I’m not sure I’m even qualified to report on what I witnessed last night in Little Five Points, but I’ll give it a try.  Songstress/songwriter Neko Case performed a fantastic set in front of a sold out crowd at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA (tons of great pics here!). She and her five piece band did everything I expected and more, while putting on 1 of the best shows I’ve seen to date.

Since I had not been to a Neko Case concert before (or Variety Playhouse for that matter), I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The venue is a theater from yesteryear, complete with a concession stand at entry, auditorium seats and a shadowy balcony.  The audience demo ranged from 20-55, pretty evenly split male to female, which happens when an artists has been around as long as Neko Case has.  This also made it easy to shuffle to the second row in a general admission show.

Denver, CO based Crooked Fingers opened promptly at 8 with a short set of indie rock .  I had always heard about finger picks before, but watching lead singer Eric Bachmann play fingerstyle was an experience.

Just after 9:15, Ms. Case took the stage to a resounding applause.  ATL was the second stop on her latest tour and she often mentioned being “terrified” playing songs from her latest, Middle Cyclone, for the second time ever.  This resulted in more hilarious commentary (topics included encounters with The Hold Steady, politely refusing requests, etc) than miscues.  I only noticed an issue with the music box on the title track, but I’m sure it will be fixed on the next stop.

Despite her fear, Case ran through many tracks from Middle Cyclone and a number of self-described “deep cuts” that had most of the venue singing along.  I knew her music had an alt country feel to it, but it was even more apparent live.  Aside from a drummer and guitarist, she incorporated a bassist who also played upright bass, a musician who dabbled in slide guitar among others, and ATL’s own Kelly Hogan, who held down music box, tamborine and acoustic guitar.  It must be a pre-requisite to play at least 2 instruments to tour with her.  Case herself wielded at least 3 guitars.

Neko Case’s sultry voice was the main attraction this evening though.  She opened with the mid-tempo cut, “Maybe Sparrow”, which was just a warm-up for the catchy single, “People Got A Lotta Nerve”.  Topics ranged from animals (“The Tigers Have Spoken”), to troubles for a tomboy (“The Next Time You Say Forever”) to dual personalities (“Margaret vs Pauline”).  Other standouts included the spooky “Prison Girls” and spirited “That Teenage Feeling”, but there wasn’t a bad song in the set.  I could have used “John Saw That Number”, but I was 99% satisfied.  Common throughout the show was how Case’s chanteuse persona captured the audience’s attention with the help of her veteran band.  Before the encore, she closed with “This Tornado Loves You” and it was clear how the Variety Playhouse felt about her.