I just went to the Roger Waters show at MSG. As a fan of the Floyd, I was stoked I got a hook up on the ticket but to get a spot basically on stage was fantastic! Thank you MD! Check out some of the shots:
Fear Builds Walls
Gnarls Barkley gets Crazy in Central Park
I went out to the last summer concert in Central Park for Gnarls Barkley headlining the Summer Stage concert series on Thursday. It was a perfect summer afternoon in the park, hardly a cloud and no humidity finally. I had picked up the tickets weeks before, not because of the hype surrounding “Crazy” (Thanks to Molly) but because I’m a fan of Goodie Mob and Cee-Lo and its good to see him set up with a crew that highlights his lyrical and music tallents.
The warm up band was Peeping Tom. Not sure what’s up with this kid, trying to bring that Korn sound and then flipping off the crowd because they ain’t “warm”. The most intertaining part of this band was Rahzel’s beat-boxin solo.
Tonight’s theme was “School of Rock,” as the crew came dressed in Catholic School Uniforms, Gnarls Barkley took the stage and rocked like the crowd was expecting. We had a front and center stage spot and rocked with the rest of the crowd to some of my favorites: “Go Go Gadget Gospel”, “Who Cares?”, an sweet accustic version of “Transformer”, ending the main set with the #1 “Crazy” and closing up the encore with my top favorite “Smiley Faces”. Full set listing is below the pics.
Heard the gossip about being backstage with Gnarls Barkley?
Gnarls Barkley Set from Summer Stage in Central Park
“Another Brick in the Wall Pt. II” (Pink Floyd cover)
“Go-Go Gadget Gospel”
“Who Cares?”
“The Boogie Monster”
“Just a Thought”
“St. Elsewhere”
“There Is An End” (cover – original by the Greenhornes)
“Gone Daddy Gone”
“Feng Shui”
“The Last Time”
“Necromancer”
“Who Scared You” (cover – the Doors)
“Crazy”
Encore:
“Transformer”
“Storm Coming”
“Smiley Faces”
You Only Live Once – The Strokes in NYC
Last night…., I was fortunate to get hooked up by a friend with tix to the first North American tour appearance for The Strokes, the band named best International Band at the Shockwaves NME Awards 2006 last month in London – Thank you Kris!. Wed night was the first of three shows at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City in support of their new album First Impressions of Earth. I’m not a concert or even music reviewer, however, for my personal tastes, I felt the energy of all their popular as well as new tracks come through strong, clear, and with the direct sensibility of their albums. Basically the show rocked!
Opening for the Strokes was The Eagles of Death Metal. The band features Carlo Von Sexron (Josh Homme from ‘Queens of the Stone Age’) on their last album: Peace, Love Death Metal. Their show was hardly death metal, but more or less just rock n roll which is what they proclaimed on stage. What I got out of the show was that Jesse “Boots Electric” Hughes loves the ladies and I was repeatedly told so, every other song…”I love the ladies!!!”, “Ladies make your way up front…”, “Damn I love em lady, Woo Hoo Rock n Roll and Ladies!!!”. Sorry guys, when I think of Death Metal, the first band I think of is Cannibal Corpse (MP3). BTW ol’ Boots is on MySpace (MyS Profile) and he definitely loves the ladies there too! (Picture – This Clip is about the hardest they rocked all set – btw sorry for the distortion on the clips but my camera is not the best device for recording concerts)
The Strokes show began with First Impressions’ opening track, “You Only Live Once.” and they tore through their popular and new catalog of tunes building up the crowds energy to a furious release with “Last Night”. The resting point of the set was the guitar free take on “Ask Me Anything” with Valensi, on keyboards, providing the sole accompaniment for Casablancas (Picture). I enjoyed the tribute rendition of The Ramones “Life is a Gas” (Clip). The Strokes closed their set with “Reptilia” before a short break to the encore.
Returning for their encore performance, which Kris points out they rarely do, The Strokes broke out the once apocryphal “New York City Cops”. Hardly flattering to the NYPD, the song was abruptly removed, with the band’s consent, from their 2001 debut in the aftermath of September 11th. It’s inclusion in the set provided the only slightly political bend on the show.
Gossip hounds were out and attending the show were some of NYC’s celebrities. Of course Drew Barrymore was there to support her man, Fabrizio Moretti. She was in the lower level VIP box with Lucy Liu (dancing like a mad woman I might add). I tried repeatedly to snap a pic for you and of course my friend Kris (here’s one for you buddy), however, this is the best I could do, and went back to enjoying what I came for. Apparently Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin were there as well, and at a Friday show, Mario Batali and Joaquin Phoenix were there… together – can you say odd couple?
Here’s the set list in exact order from the show:
1. You only live once
2. The modern age
3. Hawaii Aloha
4. Juicebox
5. The End Has No End
6. 12:51
7. Heart in a Cage
8. Razorblade
9. Soma
10. I Can’t Win
11. Life Is A Gas (Ramones Cover – Clip)
12. Alone, Together
13. Last Nite
14. Hard To Explain
15. Ize of The World
16. Trying Your Luck
17. Barely Legal
18. Ask Me Anything
19. Vision of Division
20. Reptilia
Encore
21. NYC Cops
22. Someday
23. Take It Or Leave It – (Clip of last song, till battery died)
Full Gallery of Photos from the Show
“Professional” Reviews of the Strokes Show in NYC:
NY times review of the 3/1 show in NY
Earvolution review of the first NYC Show
33 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THE STROKES
~from the pages of Blender ~
