The list is also a bit strange, but please remember my evolving taste in music that somehow began with ska and jam bands:
Eric Clapton- DC show. He is talented beyond all belief. Held the audience captive with his rock and even his slow acoustic blues set. Yet, he never speaks to the audience. Sad stuff.
Derek Trucks Band- DC show. Not bad. Also, didn't really stand out as anything special to me.
Girl Talk- Only go if you're in to having fun and getting sweaty. It's just a giant dance party. I'm 2 for 2 when it comes to getting on stage as well. Nice.
Keller Williams- He's my favorite artist. I've seen him more times than I can count. He's great every time. Looping is one special thing he does that always blows my mind. Has hundreds of songs under his belt and can jam like a monster, so every show is different and amazing.
moe. - Richmond show. Phenomenal show. They are a jam band that knows how to rock too. The great light show kept everyone dancing and jamming all night. Great live band.
Steel Train- Charlottesville show. Opening band that's way too good to open. Energetic, talented, and slightly awkward bunch of guys. Loved them.
fun. - Charlottesville show. Fantastic music and fantastic musicians. You can tell they love their jobs and they create great live music and interactions with the crowd. Stellar show.
Rihanna- NOVA show. Meh...she was ok. She didn't sound as good live. But not terrible.
Kanye West- NOVA show. Honestly, one of the best shows I've ever seen. Amazing performer. I don't care what your opinions are of him...he is straight TALENT. Flawless show.
Lupe Fiasco- NOVA show. My favorite rapper, and he is way too good to be the opening act. That made me mad, but everyone had a great time as Lupe dropped his amazing lyrics and his fast-paced flow on us. I can't wait to see him again some day.
NERD- NOVA show. Barf. All I can say is that "all the girls standing in the line for the bathroom"...are actually there because your terrible music makes them want to vomit. They definitely got the audience on their feet and moving though. Good for an opening act.
String Cheese Incident- Richmond shows. I've seen them a couple times, and they're always good. They don't do many shows anymore after they broke up, but they do them occasionally. As many jam bands are, they are amazing live performers. Incredible musicians.
Jimmy Eat World- Richmond show. Back in high school, way back when. Their music back then was good, I think it's better now. Not bad live. Vocals were a little off, but good live music.
LIT- Richmond show. Bleh. They were ok live, but they just don't have a lot to offer. Their music isn't that great.
Casey Cavanagh Band- Harrisonburg show. Casey's a great musician who definitely has a talent for getting out there and making sure you know who he is. Lots of talent in Casey and the whole band. He always puts on a good, fun live show. It helps that you know he's a good guy too.
Yonder Mountain String Band- Richmond shows. Seen them a few times. They're great live when their voices are all spot on. If they're a little off/raspy/etc then it's a little tough on the not-stoned crowd members. They're great live, even though their studio album proves they sold out.
Carbon Leaf- All over. My favorite band. I've seen these guys more times than I can remember. They always put on a great show. I've seen them in tiny bars or in giant concerts, and no matter where, they always make it fun and exciting for the crowd. Great vocals and crazy good musicians.
Sons of Bill- Harrisonburg show. Saw them open for Carbon Leaf. They sucked. Yet, I've listened to a couple of their new songs and they're not bad. Maybe they've gotten better?
Cocaine Mortgage- Harrisonburg shows. My friends Mike and Danny are a sick DJ duo force to be reckoned with. They always put out great tracks, have great shows, and give you a great time. Don't ever miss one of their shows or you're an idiot.
Railroad Earth- Richmond show. They have a great sound to their band when they're live. A fantastic combination of acoustic instruments and harmonizing vocals. Good live show.
Michael Franti & Spearhead- Richmond show. I wasn't super impressed. I also think Franti's new stuff is good, but nothing like his good old stuff! Give me Bomb the World again, man! Highlight of the show was a crazy drum circle that when on forever. Decent live show.
New Monsoon- Richmond show. Not super memorable. Didn't really impress.
Umphrey's McGee- Richmond show. Kind of like New Monsoon...they weren't super memorable. They're not bad though, they definitely put out some great music and make you want to dance. But overall, I just think they're decent.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones- Richmond shows. I've seen them twice, but I prefer when they are the only act, like their U of R show. That was one of the most incredible shows I've ever seen in my entire life. I was stunned at what incredible talent they all have. No set breaks, instead 1 man was left to have a 10-15 minute jam session while the other guys took a break. I can't speak highly enough of their talent and musicianship. No vocals at all, by the way. Fantastic live show.
Menya- Harrisonburg show. Crazy live show. They get hype. Not super stellar though, but wow do they make you have fun!
Lights in the Fog- Harrisonburg show. For a small local band, wow do they pack a punch! Incredible vocals that tingle the spine and lots of talent on the guitar. Usually pretty chill in live shows though, but I dig it.
RJD2- DC show. Wow. This guy breathes talent. Creates music DJ style on the table yet also has a band with him, where he plays guitar and provides some vocals, to create other music. Incredible live show that had the encore pack a punch with the first 2 songs making everyone go crazy and dance, yet he ruined it all with an acoustic guitar final song. Buzz kill, man.
Phish- Charlottesville show. Wow. Their lyrics might suck more than anything else in the world, but they sure can play. The house was packed, they played a fantastic set filled with a variety of their songs, and the light show was out of this world. Literally, I would go just to see the lights again, they were that good. If you want a fun way to kill some time, go look up who does the Phish lights and how he does them. That's talent. Speaking of talent: Phish. Great musicians who can jam forever and still make it interesting. Ben & Jerry love them, so do I.
Murphy's Kids- Richmond show. I saw them waaaay back when. They were good, but I've listened to more of their music since then and think they're pretty awesome. They have a good sized following for a reason: they've got talent. Go check them out.
Sequoyah Prep School- Harrisonburg show. These guys have got me hooked. I saw them open for Casey Cavanagh and I HAD to have their album. Ever since then I've been crossing my fingers they'll bring their acoustic instruments and incredible voices somewhere nearby.
Reel Big Fish- Richmond show. One of the best shows I've ever been to because of so many reasons. The band is fun, they have fun, they talked to us and joked with us, the leader singer's voice sounds EXACTLY like it does on the studio albums, and their instrumentals were spot on other than the drunk trumpet player. Amazing live band, even though they're different now.
Ben Folds- Harrisonburg show. He's an artist. He's so talented. I sat kind of high up and just chilled with my friends during the show, yet I still felt involved in the entire thing, thanks to Ben. He got us to sing parts, conducting sections of the crowd while standing on his piano. He even joked with us and told us he would play the mythical Brown Note so we all pooped ourselves. Other than that little scare, I had a great time and was amazed at how good he was live.
Andrew Rohlk- All over. Seen him play a Richmond open-mic and a bunch of Harrisonburg shows. Recently, he won a competition in Harrisonburg, which just proves how good he is. He's a quiet guy who will surprise you with his powerful voice that is almost always spot on. Not only that, but he kind of sounds like John Mayer, and plays guitar like a champ as well!
Doug McPherson & the E Street Band- Bahamas show. I'm in an amazing karaoke group with some of my best friends. We're awesome. We're sexy. Let's leave it at that. Cross your fingers that you'll see us one day on the reunion tour.
NOFX- Richmond show. Forgettable stuff. They weren't bad...they just didn't stand out.
Andrew W.K.- Richmond show. You gotta love this party animal. Who cares if every song is about drinking and partying? He still gets you excited, pumped, make you want to dance and party, and puts on a good live show! He's weird but he's worth going to see for sure!
Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels- Harrisonburg shows. Trent puts on a great show. He's a fantastic musician and has a very unique voice that fits his style perfectly. I heard him play one afternoon as I walked in Harrisonburg and have been hooked ever since. He usually plays small gigs but that's one thing that makes Trent's shows better: you feel like he's playing for you...and he is. He's a simple guy and you can tell he values every single fan.
Alright everybody...there's definitely some artists I forgot, and a few I purposefully left out because they're just straight-up not even worth my time. In the future I'll probably have some posts about shows I plan to go to in the area, such as STS9, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, and others. So, for now I'll just keep on blogging....and let me know if you've had any experiences with some of the artists I've mentioned in this post!
If you wish to leave comments or check out older posts: www.tylerconta.blogspot.com
__________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment