This Weekend Will Be Awesome Pt. I

I haven't been this excited for a series of performances in quite some time. I usually gear up for a single show or couple of shows per week but this weekend may cause a sensory overload. First off, I will be going to the All Points West Festival in Liberty Park on Saturday to see some of the following: White Rabbits, the Cool Kids, Arctic Monkeys, Gogol Bordello, Neko Case, Tokyo Police Club and Crystal Castles; I do have the option to see My Bloody Valentine and Tool but we'll see how my hearing is once I reach that point. From what I've seen and heard, MBV's show is deafening...almost painful. So, I'm not too keen on experiencing that, even though I'd like to see them perform. As for Tool, I like some of their songs but not enough to stick around since Crystal Castles are performing around the same time; I like their music and heard their shows are great. We'll see how it all plays out.

On Sunday, the latter part of the weekend, I will be going to No Age, Dan Deacon and Deerhunter performing a round-robin set at the Pool Parties at the Williamsburg Waterfront. I have been waiting for this show since it was announced a few months ago. I have seen Dan Deacon before and I really enjoyed his show; I'm a huge Deerhunter fan and I also like No Age's music, so this will definitely been an event to witness. I also have a ticket for All Points West for Sunday, so I'm debating to go and catch the last remaining bands that evening, namely Coldplay, MGMT or Etienne de Crécy. Again, we'll see how it all plays out. Either way, I am so pumped for this weekend.

I'll do my best to capture video from both days, now in high-definition via my new Flip Mino HD. Since I only get an hour of recording time on my Mino, I will also get video with my old Sony. Oh yeah, next weekend will be Awesome Weekend Pt. II with Boys Noize.

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HEALTH and the Black Lips @ Pool Parties

After making an 'early' exit from Fixed at the Tribeca Grand Hotel last night, I was really needing a good show to lift my spirits; I say 'early' since the bands didn't take the stage until 12:30. Oh well, moving on. So I descended upon the Williamsburg Waterfront for another edition of the Pool Parties. Last week I got the see Dirty Projectors, who were pretty good despite not being my cup of tea. This week, I was treated to a symphony of noise and rock by HEALTH and the Black Lips.

Honestly, I didn't know that much about HEALTH but I was very eager to see them perform. Perform they did. This was arguably the noisiest show I had ever been to. The sound from the bass stacks was rattling me from my ear canals to my shoestrings; it was unreal. But they were quite good. You could tell they were really into their performance, displaying an almost angry appearance whilst playing. After HEALTH, the Black Lips took the stage to a very avid crowd. It only took two songs for the Atlanta-based group to stir the crowd into a frenzy, jumping and dancing crazily. It was definitely too much for the handful of security guards to handle, as the barricades were pushed forward and eventually broken. Despite how great the music was, this was the most nervous I have ever been at a concert; and I have been to some crazy concerts. Jelly, make sure you provide sufficient event staff and better barricades next time; someone is going to get hurt. Other than that, the Black Lips were fantastic. I would like to see them again, preferably at a smaller venue with better overall production.





enjoy.

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Paul McCartney @ Citi Field

Where do I start? First off, I checked my Twitter and saw a random tweet about how Paul McCartney is needing thirty people to help film his stay at Citi Field and that the first who reply will be chosen. I nonchalantly send an email with the mindset that thousands more will reply before I do. Ironically enough, I received an email stating that I had been chosen and I had to be at the stadium by 7:45; it was nearly six and I was not ready. I hopped up, got ready and bolted to the subway. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Let me first just say that Citi Field was quite the sight and turned out to be an awesome venue for a show this size. Equipped with my 'Working Personnel' pass, I walked down to the field and searched for the right spot. Despite having a few quarrels with security, who apparently didn't know what were doing and what access we had, I finally made my way up front. Sir Paul blazed through an outstanding set list that included many Beatles' songs, as well as his own hits. To me, seeing and hearing the Beatles' songs being performed by an actual Beatle was beyond spectacular. Of course, Paul dedicated songs to his late band mates, George and Paul, and his late wife Linda. One might think that these were somber moments but they were actually joyous tributes and were enjoyed by all. And when the mood was happy, the place was rockin'. What am I saying, the place was rockin' the entire time. McCartney also had some help in Billy Joel, who joined him onstage for "I Saw Her Standing There". That was just the icing on the cake. This was truly an amazing event and is definitely in contention for the best concert I have ever been to. Paul McCartney is truly a legend and an outstanding showman and I consider myself lucky enough to have seen him.







enjoy.

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New Direction

Courtesy of cdevil via Flickr

I have had an epiphany. As popular as my YouTube account has been at times, I decided to dedicate this blog to showcase what concerts I've attended and display their respective footage and reviews on this blog. I guess it's kind of what I've done in the past but with more of an emphasis on the videos themselves. Really, the only changes will be less random posting about me and providing more original content that I've recorded. It should be fairly easy to keep the blog and YouTube account updated since I am now living in New York City and shows are abundant; doesn't hurt that some are free. With that said, let's see our first contestants.

Over this past weekend, I was fortunate enough to see a couple of bands I've had my eye on for quite some time. I'm speaking about New York's own Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Vancouver's Japandroids. Let me first say, they both did not disappoint. Pains of Being Pure at Heart played a free show at the South Street Seaport as part of the River to River series. Their set was full of vibrant, pop songs that were full of life. Not flashy or flamboyant, the band kept true to their sound and provided the crowd with an hours worth of infectious rock.



On Saturday, I got to witness the raucously aggressive Japandroids at Pianos. Wow. From the get go, they were exploding with energy. The duo, Brian King and Dave Prowse, was more than enough to fill the small venue and beyond with pulsating drums and distorted guitar riffs; I don't think a four-member band could produce the amount of sound they did. Though the audio on the videos do not do the band justice, believe me, they were loud and awesome. A definite two thumbs up. They will be back in New York to play the free Siren Music Festival at Coney Island this coming Saturday (07/18). Check them out.



enjoy.

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