of Montreal @ Granada Theater

If a picture says a thousand words, then the picture above says it all.  Honestly, last night's of Montreal show at Granada Theater was spectacular and was only missing key element to make the night complete...air conditioning.  Seriously Granada, please turn it down a few degrees; a comfortable crowd is a happy crowd.  Despite it being warmer inside than it was waiting in the 90+ degree heat, the atmosphere was hard to beat; just moving from New York and catching some amazing shows while I was there, that's quite a feat.

Starting their set off with a fan favorite, "Suffer For Fashion", it was obvious that this show was going to be phenomenal.  I was sure the next song was going to be an obscure or lesser known song, but instead, the band jumped into "Wraith Pinned To The Mist & Other Games"; you know, the Outback Steakhouse song.  Having seen the band twice before, both times in Norman, I have to admit that this show was the best of the trio; their song selection was awesome and the crowd was top notch.  Playing mostly favorites and even a song ("Coquet, Coquet") from their forthcoming album, False Priest, the show had fewer theatrics than previous shows but their overall performance was outstanding.  As always, I would catch this band when you can.  Photos and videos of the show are below:

enjoy.

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Radio Happy Hour w/ David Bazan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Max Silvestri @ Le Poisson Rouge

Yikes, has it really been two weeks since Radio Happy Hour??  Surprisingly, yes.  I have been extremely busy these past two weeks and with limited internet connection until now, I can finally share the hilarious and poignant moments of the live variety show.  I was very eager to see this skit as the special guests made a fantastic lineup:  David Bazan (singer/songwriter), Jesse Eisenberg (actor), and Max Silvestri (comedian).  From the opening interviews, I knew this show was going to be one of Radio Happy Hour's more funny affairs.

Instead of ruining any of the moments from this month's skit, "Bobble Dead", I will simply say that it was as funny as ever; like most Radio Happy Hour shows, the interviews and quick-fire question sessions provide the most hysterical moments as they are unscripted.  Providing three songs between each act was David Bazan, aka Pedro the Lion, who wowed the crowd with two of his own songs, "Transcontinental" and "Please Baby Please", but also covered the late Vic Chesnutt's "Flirted With You All My Life"; Bazan was surprisingly funny and held his own against Eisenberg and Silvestri.  Videos of the show are below:

Be sure to check out the next installment of Radio Happy Hour featuring musical guest Islands and actor Eddie Kaye Thomas (Finch from the American Pie series).  Tickets for the June 15th show are now on sale here.

enjoy.

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a-ha @ Nokia Theatre

In all honesty, I would have never had thought I would have seen a-ha perform live in my lifetime.  Oddly enough, a-ha and I were both born in 1982 but only one of us has millions of fans worldwide; I probably have a handful of international followers, but I'm sure they don't even know my first name.  So when I received the chance to see these pop icons, for perhaps the last time, I knew I had to take it.

I arrived at Nokia Theatre, nestled in the middle of Times Square, only to find a substantial line formed of a-ha die-hards, most of which saw the band perform the night before.  Once we were let inside, I was amazed at the speed in which these fans were making their way downstairs; most of the first few rows of people were in their late thirties and early forties.  Take nothing away from these fans, since they are what made this concert so special:  from tales of seeing the band more than a dozen times, stories of how their children are now a-ha fans, to belting every lyric from their catalog and not missing a beat.  a-ha's fans are loyal.

What can I say about the show?  They are great entertainers and it definitely shows during their set.  They know how to hold the crowd and make the best of their time onstage.  I know I have said this before but I wish I knew more lyrics than I did because it looked like everybody who was singing was having such a great time.  The band had smiles all around and you could tell they were soaking up the love from New York, especially since it has been more than a decade since their last show in the States.  With a great selection from their 25+ year catalog and two encores, the show ended on the highest of notes when the band played their most famous hit, "Take On Me"; I'm not gonna lie, I was mouthing every single word.  I know this show won't go down in my personal concert hall of fame but I know it will definitely be a concert I will never forget.  Videos of the show are below:

enjoy.

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Beach House @ Webster Hall

Let me just start out by saying that I had been looking forward to this show than any other show in recent memory.  Why?  After releasing their third studio album, Teen Dream, last year, Beach House was headed for the stratosphere.  After reading so many positive reviews of the album, you would have sworn that they were the Second Coming.  And after I had barely missed their performance at the more intimate Bell House months earlier, I made it a goal of mine to catch them in NYC before I left.  Goal accomplished.

The buzz was swirling in Webster Hall well before Beach House had taken stage and the crowd gathered quicker than most shows I've been too lately.  After being to three shows in a matter of a week at Webster Hall, I do have one complaint:  did they make an agreement with the fog-machine people to make each show a haunted house affair??  Seriously, push the button once or twice then leave it alone.  Any who, I was pretty giddy once the band took the stage and what ensued was nothing short of mesmerizing.  Playing mostly from Teen Dream and Devotion, the band threw a curve ball when they played "White Moon", an unreleased track that had not been played live before because "it really doesn't exist".  But even playing a new song didn't top two of my favorite tracks from Teen Dream, "Take Care" and "10 Mile Stereo"; the latter was epic and well worth the price of admission.  If you can, definitely catch them whenever you can.  Set list was as such:

Walk In the Park

Lover of Mine

Gila

Better Times

Norway

Silver Soul

Master of None

Astronaut

White Moon

Used to Be

Zebra

Heart of Chambers

Take Care

Encore

Real Love

10 Mile Stereo

And if that wasn't enough, Alex (guitars, vocals) handed me the set list once they finished their set, hence me knowing what to label my video of "White Moon".  I was on cloud nine after their show; now I know why label them as 'dream pop'.  Videos of the show are below:

enjoy.

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Shout Out Louds / Freelance Whales @ Webster Hall

At this point, I'm just playing catch up.  I thought three shows in three days would be awesome; don't get me wrong, I loved all three shows but finding the time to edit, render, and upload videos along with writing a review for each has been difficult.  So without further adieu, I present to you the review of Freelance Whales and Shout Out Louds at Webster Hall.

Coming into this show, I think I was more stoked to see Freelance Whales than Shout Out Louds based on the amount of press Freelance had been getting in the past few months.  I knew I had to see them before I left NY and they did not disappoint.  A mix of indie rock and synth pop, this band from Queens left the crowd in awe, begging for more.  Playing mostly from their latest effort, Weathervanes, the group proved again that the New York music scene is the place to be.  My first taste of Freelance Whales was excellent, now I know what all the fuss was about.

I unfortunately missed out on the Shout Out Louds' smaller gigs earlier in the year so it was a pleasant surprise to attend this show and catch their set.  And wow, I was blown away.  Similar to  last week's Frightened Rabbit show, Shout Out Louds' performed ferociously onstage and captured the audience with their accessible sound and plethora of rock anthems.  Playing a mix bag of newer material from latest release, Work, and ending their set with  plenty of singalong fodder, their entire show was pleasing from start to finish.  I really wish I knew their older stuff before attending this show because I wanted to belt out the lyrics just as everybody else was.  A great show overall.  Videos of the show are below:

enjoy.

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