One Golden Ticket to the Beastie Boys at the Croc

Wednesday morning I woke up knowing I would get a Beastie Boys ticket to the Crocodile for Friday nite. Was it intuition or just determination? Not sure but I could just feel it in my gut. When 4 o’clock turned up — the time the tickets went on sale at ticketmaster.com, I did what thousands of other Seattleites did, kept clicking “refresh” until the screen popped up to buy a ticket in hopes of getting one of the less than 500 tickets available for a rare Beastie Boys appearance at a tiny local venue, The Crocodile Cafe. And then bingo, I got thru! However to my dismay — when I entered in my 2 tickets I wanted to buy — it told me none were available. What? I kept trying and trying but got the same message. I then walked over to my friend’s desk and told him how sad I was that I missed out and he said to keep trying — so I ran back to my desk and did just that. After about 10 more tries, I got my ticket — I felt like Charlie when he found that golden ticket in the chocolate bar. I knew my gut feeling from that morning wouldn’t let me down. I scored one of the hottest tickets in town since I don’t know when…

Lymbyc Systym and Album Leaf

I took in Lymbyc Systym and Album Leaf and the Bluebird Theatre in Denver two nights ago. Lymbyc Systym was the highlight, playing moody, pretty, driving numbers.

Top 100 RIAA-Free Albums

The 100 highest-selling albums on Amazon that are RIAA-safe.

I was surprised. These aren’t small bands. Here’s a sample:

Beastie Boys at the Croc This Friday

UPDATE: Tickets are to be on sale WEDNESDAY at 4pm. Don’t know why.

A little bird just told me this:

“Beastie Boys are playing at the Crocodile Café on Friday.” Tickets go on sale today at 5pm at
http://www.ticketmaster.com/

Tickets are $25 a piece, limit 2…this show will sell out very fast. From what I hear…just so you know…it’s more of a “rehearsal” for their new album/tour. This weekend they are playing at Sasquatch and I believe it is their first show of their new tour. I also hear it will, primarily, be an instrumental set.”

I can’t make it, so one of you all should. Take some pictures and tell us all about it!

The Festive Season

Summer is coming to Seattle.  Well, if not what most people would consider summer, at least the chance of a few rain free days in succession are headed our way.  And with the summer come the music fests, street fairs, block parties and so on.  Personally, I’m not a huge fan of outdoor stages.  I prefer my live music without the sunburns and baby strollers.  I feel if rock was meant to be played outside, guitar amps would plug into trees.  Rock is born in dark basements and in bedrooms late at night.  Music sounds best, to me, when it entirely fills a small, awkward space.  But I know most people enjoy huge outdoor concerts.  And here in Seattle, we put on some pretty great music festivals.  And while, it isn’t my favorite way to see bands, I still go.  I get pretty excited when the line-up announcements start coming in.  So here are the some highlights of this year’s festival season…

Breaking: The Blakes sign to Light in the Attic

Lovable Seattle locals The Blakes have signed to the fab Light in the Attic Records.

Good work, men, and congratulations.

The Heels @ B.C. Silver Dollar Casino

I was lucky enough to catch the 2nd show of Seattle supergroup The Heels.

In a word, they rockedmysocks.

I strongly suggest you see them if you like loud, punky music avec sass.

The stage presence of these women doesn’t so much wash over you as much as wink, kick your ass, and take your wallet. The music is cheeky, fun and fast, and this band will go far.

Morning Critical… Yet Faithful

Like some of you, I occasionally drop a message to dj@kexp.org. “Great song” or “Thanks for playing ________” or whatever comes to mind. I have done this from my phone most often, I confess.
This morning, I had this request:
“John:
Something I have been meaning to ask for a long time and I know some FAQ out there probably already has stated this 1000 times: What’s that music you play behind the concert calendar? It’s so terrible and hilarious all at once. Sorry if you don’t mean for it to be funny or your mom wrote it or something, but I just find it awful. … It makes me think of “The Price is Right” and I have no idea why.”

And his totally unexpected reply:

“Stewart Copeland wrote it, of the police under the name Klark Kent. It was also the theme to MTV’s The Cutting Edge. 99% of the hundreds who asked about it, seem to love it. Glad someone hates it.”

I LOVE Stewart Copeland! So it makes it that much more enjoyable to hate it.

Contraband Countryband CD Release Party!!!

Saturday, May 12, the Allegro Lounge, 6:30 pm

The Contraband Countryband is a collective project centered around the songs of Jared Nelson (who, yes, is me — but still, the third person). Recorded in a variety of times and spaces from November 2005 to 2006, this is the first “normal” record from 1/2 Ass Universe. The record veers from solo folk, to booming Crazy Horse-plods, elegant psychedelic trumpet bridges, upbeat Wilco-esque pop, campfire sing-alongs, screaming walls of noise, and anthemic rock. Produced by Dave Webb (Girth, Wah Wah Exit Wound) and featuring performances from Peijman Kouretchian (Girth, Secret Chiefs 3), Jordan Michelman (Patience Please), Chris Borgia (the Quit, the Tangents), Dash Pilcher (Sway), and Micheal van Bebber (2004 MACRO Composition/Theory Award and Honorarium).

Chris Cornell at the Fenix

At 7pm Tuesday night, I was told that Chris Cornell was playing a show at the Fenix, but all available tickets had been distributed through MySpace and other channels.

I wasn’t about to run down to Pioneer Square to be a mouth-breather fanboy and beg entrance because the Seattle Times’ site said that the show would be webcast on MSN at 10pm.

Fancy that! I can be a fanboy at home and rock out to the aging ex-Soundgarden frontman belt out “Billie Jean” while doing physics homework. (I have to confess I am thrilled that someone other than Kevin Ledoux is doing 80’s cover tunes.)

Britt Daniel Intimate Accoustic

Last night Britt Daniel, of legendary Spoon fame and responsible for 5 of the best albums of the past decade, played to an intimate crowd of about 150 at the Crocodile Cafe as a benefit for Muscular Dystrophy Research. As Spoon is a band that normally sells out venues like the Bowery Ballroom in NYC within 2 hours, it was a surprise to be standing 3 feet from the action and NOT be slammed against everyone else. The intimacy of this setting made for a rather quiet and self conscious start for Britt. Once the crowd showed it’s obvious adoration for him, the colar and guitar strings began to loosen and there was a steady increase in volume and energy as the songs kept pouring forth.

Bright Eyes Show Review

Singer/songwriter Ross Beamish talks about the recent Bright Eyes show at the Paramount in Seattle

What songs did they nail?

Clairaudients (Kill or Be Killed) (from the new album Cassadaga), Four Winds (Cassadaga), Hot Knives (Cassadaga). As part of the Bright Eyes encore they played Road to Joy – the last song on last album I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning – and it was a dream come true.

Queens of the Stone Age preview

I got a taste of three new QOTSA tracks from the upcoming LP, Era Vulgaris. Slated for a June 12 release, the new LP is expected to feature an all-star lineup of studio musicians, including guitarist Alain Johannes (Eleven, Chris Cornell band) drummer Joey Castillo (Danzig), Troy Van Leeuwen (A Perfect Circle), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Mark Lanegan (The Screaming Trees, and Mark Lanegan Band), Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) and Trent Reznor (what band is he in?).

A Report from the Reverend Horton Heat Show

Reverend Horton Heat, Friday (early show) at El Corazón here in Seattle

Terminology from my source included the words “Excellent” and “it was so good we hugged” (two straight males).

Sigh… another RHH show, another case of singer Jim Heath playing his Gretsch while standing on Jimbo Wallace’s upright base.

The Hype Machine’s podcast

… is outfuckingstanding. Subcribe to it here.

It’s literally free studio and live music tracks every day by medium and big names in music. No talk.

Oh, It’s not one long indivisible monster file — you get several individual song tracks per day.

I have my iTunes set to download whatever they’re offering daily at 5:11 pm. Why 5:11? I have no idea.

I have ~500MB of music from HM that’s been collecting for a few months, and I’m starting to go thru it and finding some surprisingly good stuff. Here’s a sample:

!!! – Dance off, Pants off – !!!

Now either every person in Seattle who has ever danced at a concert (c’mon, you 20 people know who you are) were somehow cosmically shanghaied into gathering at Neumos last night … OR !!! (commonly pronounced “chk chk chk”) actually rocked hard enough to cause a full fledged dance movement. I’d personally like to believe the latter but won’t rule out the cosmic possibilities.

Backing their latest album, Myth Takes, !!! lit up the crowd immediately with the first 2 tracks off of their album, “Myth Takes” and “All My Heroes are Weirdoes”. Granted it was a bit anticlimactic and confusing at first when the lead singers mic didn’t work and there was some finagling involved to get the vocals… BUT, as the night wore on, it became very apparent as to why that mic was mangled. Nic Offer had blown the shit out of it the night before with animalistic yelps and throat ripping screams, an impressive display to say the least, all kept in check with the sultry murmurs truely inspired by Mick Jagger.

…as the night wore on, it became very apparent as to why that mic was mangled. Nic Offer had blown the shit out of it the night before with animalistic yelps and throat ripping screams, an impressive display to say the least, all kept in check with the sultry murmurs truely inspired by Mick Jagger.

Coming through with a sound that was a lot like channeling Pink Floyd through a Disco filter, these guys put on a high energy show that was talented, fuking rocking and most importantly, surprising. Switching up their line-up occasionally to put John Pugh (I think that’s his name) in front made the show for me. He maintained the haunting melodies of “Bend Over Beethoven” and “New Name” then kicked you in the neck by punctuating the peaks of the songs with the most incredible wailings. The killer disco/punk tracks on the album were all turned up a notch for their live event, leaving both performers and crowd exhausted by nights end.
Might be the “cookies” talking, but I’m sold.

Okkervil River / Sera Cohoone / Ghost Stories

Sunday, June 10, 2007, 8:00 PM, Neumos

This should be good. I’ve been listening to Okkervil River for about a year, and listens of Black their Sheep Boy CD never fail to impress. It’s held up.

Bright Eyes Pics

Photos from the Tuesday night Bright Eyes show at the Paramount.

Review to follow shortly.