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Amanda’s Top Ten Musical Experiences (cont.)

Posted on by Amanda

I bet you thought I forgot all about this! Well, the truth of the matter is… I haven’t been home to write and when I am home, I’m sleeping. I’ve been out making new musical experiences for 2012! As such I’m giving you three more of my top musical experiences and I promise the top 2 won’t be far behind.

 

5.SXSW- I don’t really know how to describe SXSW to anyone other than calling it a musical orgy of sorts. There is so much to see and do whilst in Austin, Texas that it’s hard to keep your head on straight. Last year was my first year and I hope to be going every year after. The cool thing about SXSW is you really only need money for a place to stay and some food. We never went to any official shows (which is what badges are required for) and we had a hard time keeping up with all the musical options out there. During our time at SXSW we saw; Fierce Creatures, Viva City, Purple Melon, AWOLNATION, Neon Trees, The Head and The Heart, The Kin, Dead Sara, Fitz and The Tantrums, Tailor Made Fable, Keaton Simons, Liam Finn, Atomic Tom, Ivan and Alyosha, Queen Caveat, The Gallery, Sabrosa Purr,  The Greenhornes, The Silent Comedy, Mother Mother, Agnes Obel, Brian Wright, Brooke Fraser, Cary Brothers, Holly Conlan, Jim Bianco, Joey Ryan, Kenneth Pattengale, Laura Jansen, Little Red Radio, OK, The Milk Carton Kids, Deluka, Hugo, Meriwether, My Cousin The Emperor, Sinai, Taylor Locke & The Roughs, The Good Natured, Augustana, Doll and The Kicks, Empires, Lenka, Twin Atlantic, and The Stone Foxes. Well, you get the idea…

 

4. Blink-182- I was never a huge fan of Blink. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t change the radio station when their music came on or anything but nothing about them made me have a burning desire to see them live. In 2011, I saw them not once but twice and they will always have a warm spot in my heart. The first time I saw them was for the Honda Civic Tour. I was working with Kevin and Rebecca Joelson and doing some shooting of the event which means I was in the pit for the first few songs and was able to be side stage for the rest of their set. I was surprised at just how many Blink-182 songs I knew and Rebecca and I sang along from the sidelines. What really blew my brain was when they ‘finished’ their set and this giant rig comes down from the batons where all the lights are. I had been staring at it all night trying to figure out what it was. Well, it was a giant arm with a drum set attached! Travis got on this rig and was taken out over the audience while he played a solo for a few minutes. The rig would tilt down, back up and move around. It was mind blowing!!!! Needless to say, I was a fan after that.

 

3. Bonnaroo- In 2011, Bonnaroo was what Coachella should have been lineup wise. If you’ve ever been to or know about Coachella, think of Bonnaroo as the cooler sister who is both hippie and hip. Bonnarro is also held in a giant field and while it lacks the artistic attractions like the wandering robot and the giant hand that can kill a car, it has yoga and it’s own post office. Bonnaroo also has this giant fountain which I’ve been told gets painted different colors every year but it’s a great way to stay cool in the heat. Coachella doesn’t have that. Granted Coachella is easier to get to, but flying out gave us the chance to hang out in Tennessee and check out Nashville for a day or two. Our highlights from Bonnaroo were already posted on this site but we had a blast watching Eminem, The Head and The Heart, Portugal. The Man, Neon Trees, Kopeckey Family Band, Mumford and Sons, Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons, Alberta Cross, The Black Angels, and The Decemberists. Bonnaroo is a new tradition in my book and I can’t wait to see the lineup for 2012!

 

See you soon for my top 2!

Friday the 13th’s Creepshow at The Hotel Cafe

Posted on by Kristen

One of my favorite musical events is the semi-annual Creepshow. Pianist extraordinaire, Ely Rise or Ely the Creep as he is affectionately known, gathers together his very talented musician friends for a night of drinking and music at The Hotel Cafe. Ely knows good music and The Creepshow is always an opportunity to discover amazing talent. Over the last couple of years, I have been introduced to artists like Alisan Porter, Elle King, Sarah Hudson, and Esthero and gotten to see favorite acts like Hoobastank, Daniel Bedingfield, and Ferras.  What I love most about the event is that it is a celebration of music. Everyone there is so happy to be on the stage sharing what the love with an audience eager to hear what they have to offer.

The 10th Creepshow took place last Friday (the 13th) and living up to the standard, was an evening full of discovering new artists, seeing a couple of favorites, and generally being blown away by the talent that took the stage. Highlights for me included hearing some new songs from Ferras (especially his duet with Sarah Hudson) and sampling promising new voices like Dana Williams, Nikki Leonti (of Nikki & Rich), and southern sounding rocker Josh Bartholomew. Plus, it wouldn’t be a Creepshow without at least one surprise guest and having Josh Hoge take the stage might have been the most pleasant surprise of them all!

Below are some pictures. Scroll over the pics to get more stories from the fantastic evening of music.

~ Kristen

Kristen’s ’11 Mix – Track 3 – Biffy Clyro

Posted on by Kristen

3. “The Captain” (acoustic) – Biffy Clyro

Another year has gone by and I’m still obsessed with Biffy Clyro.  My fave shirtless Scottsmen spent a lot of time in the US this year (YAY!). Some of my Biffy highlights include seeing them headline at The Troubadour and The Belly Up, selling the band’s merch, sneaking backstage to say hi, interviewing drummer Ben Johnston, filling out my Biffy collection (including imports), and meeting the band as well as some fellow Biffy lovers. But the Biffiest experience of  all was when the band partnered up with author Mark Danielewski to do an evening of music and readings surrounding Mark’s book “Only Revolutions” and Biffy Clyro’s CD of the same name. Mark’s book is amazing. I’d never experienced experimental literature before and found it incredibly rewarding. This event also marked the first time I was able to hear the usually raucous hard rockers break it down and do acoustic versions of their tunes. I loved the acoustic version of “The Captain” so much, I went home and learned it on my guitar. MON THE BIFF!

Here’s “The Captain” prefaced by Mark Danielewski reading from his book:

~ Kristen

Kristen’s ’11 Mix – Track 1 – The Milk Carton Kids

Posted on by Kristen

The New Year is almost here. The season of year end mixes is upon us! My mix is a reflection of MY 2011, containing the tracks and artists that had an impact on me, regardless of when a song was released. For those who want to know about how my year went, I have accompanying stories of why each track was chosen. For those of you just trolling for inspiring new music, I’m sure you can find that too!

Enjoy!!

1. “Michigan” – The Milk Carton Kids

 

I believe that Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale are the most inspired pairing since Paul Simon met Art Garfunkel. This year, my favorite duo made it official and christened themselves a “band” with the name The Milk Carton Kids. Along with the christening, they released an album, Prolouge. “Michigan” is the first track on the album and it took me a solid week to listen to the rest of the CD because I couldn’t move past this song! This year, I saw The Milk Carton Kids at every opportunity. Their unique combination of sad, yet beautiful tunes with gut-busting banter and deadpan humor makes for a show experience unlike any other.

 

 

~ Kristen

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 12/19-12/25

Posted on by Amanda

I just finished making a pasta salad and cheesy mashed potatoes for a family holiday dinner tonight. I wonder how much more food I can get before I really expand….   Can you believe Christmas is on Sunday? That means the new year is right around the corner!

Since it’s the holiday week the show schedule is quite light. I won’t complain since it gives me time to shop and wrap gifts!

 

Monday: Pinkback @ Belly Up @9 $20
AND: Wendy Bailey @ Ruby Room @8 $4

Tuesday: Give some music to a friend

Wednesday: Finish shopping!

Thursday: Skyline Union @ Tin Can Alehouse @9 $5

Friday: Writer @ Soda Bar @9
AND: Cash’d Out @ Belly Up @9 $16/$18

Saturday: Last minute present wrapping!

Sunday: Merry Christmas!

 

Keep in Mind:

December 27th- Cracker @ Belly Up @8 $20/$22
December 30th- Get Back Loretta and The Burning of Rome @ Casbah @930 $10
December 31st- The Silent Comedy and Transfer w/The Creepy Creeps, The Heavy Guilt, Low Volts, and more! @ Mississippi Room $25-$40
January 11th- Milk Carton Kids @ Anthology
January 22nd- Wilco and With Denim @ House of Blues
February 3rd- Mute Math @ 4th & B
February 10th- Young the Giant @ Soma
February 23rd- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up @8 $18

Amanda’s SD Concert Calendar 12/12-12/18

Posted on by Amanda

Well the holidays are knocking at our doors and it seems like we were just having some summer fun. I can tell you that the holidays bring wonderful holiday shows to our lovely San Diego area. I myself was part of the media crew for 91X and was at Wrex the Halls both days. When I wasn’t shooting some video or stills, I was watching bands like Cage the Elephant (my personal fav), Florence + The Machine (from the side sage!), Naked and Famous, Mutemath (headstand on a piano just because), Blink 182 (Travis Barker is amazing!!), Pennywise, Switchfoot (super fun), Death Cab for Cutie (watched Ben Gibbard do a drum breakdown from side stage), and soooo many more bands! It was wonderful and magical as always. Never thought I would have the opportunity to do such great things!

But enough about me! What’s this week have in store?

 

Monday: The Boxer Rebellion and The Beautiful View @ Casbah @9 $14
AND: White Wives @ Soda Bar @830 $8
AND: Jingle Ball w/Christina Perri, Parachute, and Scars on 45 @ Anthology $20-$295
AND: Megan Combs @ Ruby Room @830 $4

Tuesday: The Filthy Violets and Italian Japanese @ Casbah @9 $5
AND: Dinosaur Jr. and appearance by Henry Rollins @ Belly Up @9 $26/$28

Wednesday: Deas Vail, Sick of Sarah, and The Midwinters @ Soda Bar @8 $8
AND: Echo Revolution and The Get Down Automatic @ Casbah @9 $5
AND: Stripes and Lines and Manzarek- Rogers Band @ Belly Up @9 $28/$30
AND: The Beautiful View @ Bar Pink @9

Thursday: The White Buffalo, River City and April Ventura and The Magnolias @ Casbah @9 $12/$14
AND: Skyline Union @ Tin Can Alehouse @930 $5
AND: Dead Winter Carpenters @ Lestats @8

Friday: One I Red CD Release Party @ Eleven @9 $6
AND: Unwritten Law @ Belly Up @9 $20/$22
AND: Cuckoo Chaos @ Soda Bar @830 $8/$10
AND: The Styletones @ Bar Pink
AND: Lessons From Zeke @ Griffin @9 $5

Saturday: Endoxi and Gary Hoey @ House of Blues SD @8 $20-$37
AND: Love and A .38 @ Griffin  @9 $5

Sunday: Rest up for some holiday shopping!

 

Keep in Mind:

December 19th- Pinback @ Belly Up
December 30th- Get Back Loretta and The Burning of Rome @ Casbah @930 $10
December 31st- The Silent Comedy and Transfer w/The Creepy Creeps, The Heavy Guilt, Low Volts, and more! @ Mississippi Room $25-$40
January 11th- Milk Carton Kids @ Anthology
January 22nd- Wilco and With Denim @ House of Blues
February 3rd- Mute Math @ 4th & B
February 10th- Young the Giant @ Soma
February 23rd- Ra Ra Riot @ Belly Up @8 $18

LMN Band Exam: Vanaprasta

Posted on by Amanda

If you have yet to see LA indie rockers, Vanaprasta, dominate the stage at The Satellite during their November residency, you have two more opportunities (tonight/11.21 and next Monday/11.28). Don’t miss out!  Over the last year or so, I’ve watched this band really come into their own and with the recent release of their album, Healthy Geometry, they have become one of the most buzzed about bands on the local scene.  What amazes me about this band is the depth and energy of their tunes and the visceral impact they can have on an entire audience (we can call it the Vanaprasta effect). Witness for yourself. Monday nights in November. 11pm.

We wanted to get to know the band a bit better, so we had them take our Band Exam. Here are the responses we got from Steven (Vocals/Keys), Collin (Guitar/Vocals/Keys), Taylor (Bass/Vocals/Keys), Cam (Guitar) and Smiley (Drums)

 

Multiple Choice:

Favorite superhero: superman, batman, spiderman

Smiley: Batman for sure.

Favorite subject in school: math, science, history, recess

Steven: SCIENCE

Vacation destination: beach, mountains, moon

Steven: MOON

No-shave November: I’m in!, nooo way, what?

Cam: I’m in!

 

Fill in the Blank:

If I were a character from The Wizard of Oz, I would be__Toto (Taylor)___.

My karaoke song is       The Rolling Stones, “Sympathy for the Devil” (Collin)  .

One weird talent/skill no one would expect from me is    I’m a helluva driver (Steven)   .

Two words to describe Vanaprasta’s November residency at The Satellite   Chick Central (Cam)   . 

 

Essay/Short Answer:

If you weren’t rockin’ out as a musician, what would be your ideal job?

Smiley: I guess if I wasn’t the multi-millionaire mega rock star that I am…I’d want to be Walker Texas Ranger. He’s s real American hero in my book. Not a fan of Chuck Norris but Walker Texas Ranger, now that’s a guy with his priorities straight. I guess I would want to be a (walker) Texas ranger.

What does Vanaprasta mean to you?

Taylor: To me, it means “a moderately sized moat surrounding a cottage or shack.”

Tell us a story about one of the songs off Healthy Geometry

Collin: G- is a special song for me personally because it was a song I wrote on acoustic guitar about 2 or 3 years before VANAPRASTA even existed. When I first got a chance to hang with the guys and we were just kind of jamming songs that we had written I started playing G-.  Cam and I had done very little guitar playing together at the time but as soon as he started jamming to it I was like “shit, that’s it!”.  I must have played that song with a million different people and lots of people had cool takes on the song but for some reason Cam’s parts struck a chord in the song I didn’t really ever see.  This song also helped Steven’s voice develop into more of a rock singer.  Overall I think the song taught us something about our sound and what we were capable of which I try to never forget.

 

 

~ Kristen