So, I haven't updated this blog once in 2015. Yikes. I do have a couple good reasons—I got promoted at work and I'm in the middle of planning a wedding, so things are a bit busy! But I want to get back into blogging about music more regularly. Not sure exactly how frequently that will happen, but I'll do my best to pop in at least more than once a year!
I have still been writing about music though. This summer, I started doing musician interviews over on AbsolutePunk. Here's some of what I've been up to:
I interviewed Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind about the band's new album, Dopamine. Say what you want about Stephan, but this was possibly one of the most pleasant interviews I've ever done.
I chatted with Jarrod Gorbel of Night Terrors of 1927, and resisted begging him to bring back The Honorary Title. That's a major accomplishment in my book.
I spoke with Jose Pasillas of Incubus. As I've mentioned before, an article about Incubus that I read in high school made me realize I wanted to be a journalist. So this was one of those moments that made me reflect on how far I've come.
Looking forward to interviewing more amazing artists over the coming months! If you're on AP.net, feel free to shoot me a note and say hi.
Every spring, I compile a giant playlist of music for the sunny days ahead. The songs put me in a good mood all summer, and when the weather turns cold, I have a souvenir of the good times I had (and okay, songs to weep to when I'm wrapped up in eight blankets and desperately wishing January would be over already).
Here are some of my favorites from this summer's playlist, in a handy 8tracks mix for you to enjoy.
Something miraculous happened this weekend - I saw Third Eye Blind play, and their opening band did not make me want to rip my ears off. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed this band, U.S. Royalty, so much that I even purchased their latest album, Mirrors. This never happens.
A quick side note for anyone who does not understand how big of a deal this is: I have seen Third Eye Blind 19 times (yes, really) and I can only think of two other times that I liked the opener. I'm not going to name names, because I have no desire to rip poor unknown bands to shreds on the Internet. But let's just say, a beat down in a mosh pit would be preferable to listening to most of the bands I've heard play beforehand.
Anyway, back to the point. U.S. Royalty. After a little research, I see this band has been compared to everyone from Fleetwood Mac to Fleet Foxes, and many of the influences are easy to pinpoint. The songs are a combination of catchy melodies and nostalgic guitar solos mixed with plenty of swagger. Lead singer John Thornley's powerful vocals transfixed me right away, and damn, he can really hold a note (and then follow it up with a crazy blood-curdling scream).
The video for "Equestrian." Plus, the Internet has been freaking out over how stylish these dudes are, so you can check that out too.
This was the kind of opening band that grabs everyone's attention, pulling people away from the bar and into the crowd. Generally, the audience tolerates the opener while counting down the minutes until the main event comes out. But not at this show. U.S. Royalty received a well-deserved roar of cheers and whistles at the end of their set. This never happens. Not at a 3eb show, anyway.
I can already tell Mirrors will be the soundtrack to my summer. My favorite track so far is "Equestrian," although I'm falling in love with more and more of the tracks as I get acquainted with the album.
Choosing just one 3eb song is impossible for me (like asking a mother to pick her favorite child, etc etc). Obviously they are my favorite band because I adore every bit of music they make (the only exception being the song featuring Kimya Dawson, because her voice makes me want to rip my ears off).
But finally, after much internal debate, I settled on The Background. First, because I really really love this song. Secondly, because even though I do love the poppy mega hits they are famous for, it is the deeper, meaningful songs like this one that make them my favorite. Anyone who writes them off as just another 90s band is missing out.
I saw Third Eye Blind again this past Tuesday. You don’t want to know how many times I’ve seen them now (although apparently one of the girls at the show has seen them 100 times. I don’t know if that makes her awesome or just certifiably insane).
Anyway, I’m not going to write another update about 3EB because 1) I could talk about them all day and 2) I’ve written enough posts on the subject. I did want to mention the opening band though, because I was fairly impressed with their performance.
The opener was Alpha Rev, from Austin, TX. They play kind-of anthemic rock music, complete with violin and cello. I am really just a sucker for any rock band with string instruments involved. Think big choruses and beautiful melodies. To be honest, the music is not incredibly original, but it’s pretty and worth a listen.
This song, “New Morning,” is not my favorite, but it’s the best quality video on Youtube. Check out the Myspace to hear some other samples.
So even though I didn't know their music, I enjoyed Alpha Rev’s live performance. The violinist, Brian Batch, was fascinating to watch. He plays so passionately. In fact, by the end of just 3 songs, his bow was completely shredded. You could see all the strings hanging off. About three-fourths of the way through the set, he traded it in for a new bow. Watching a musician play that enthusiastically is just inspiring.
Anyway, their new CD is coming out next week, so check it out when you get the chance.
I saw AFI again last night at the House of Blues. It was definitely one of the best shows I'd been to in a long, long time (excluding AFI at Hampton Beach a week ago, of course). I got to hold Davey Havok up while he walked on the crowd. He also did a flip into the audience and I helped catch him then too. Now my left arm is sore, but I can't think of a better reason to be in pain.
In honor of these two absolutely incredible shows, here's a list of my top 10 most memorable concerts, in no particular order. (NOTE: None of the videos belong to me, except for the Sugarcult one).
1. Third Eye Blind (Babson College, 4/21/07 AND Bamboozle 2009). Honestly, I have seen this band so many times that it's hard to narrow it down to one show. But Babson was the first time I was in the front row, and the first time I met the band afterwards. (It was completely accidental too. We were lost and managed to end up right behind the guys in some parking lot). And Bamboozle was just plain awesome.
(Not the best quality, and possibly one of the band's worst songs, but this video really captures the fun of Bamboozle
2. AFI (Hampton Beach, 10/17/09 and House of Blues Boston, 10/25/09). See my last entry and the paragraph above. AFI is seriously one of the best live bands around.
3. A Fine Frenzy (The Paradise, March 2008). I adore Alison Sudol, the voice and mastermind behind A Fine Frenzy. She is one of the sweetest, most talented individuals in music today. She is so grateful and appreciative of her fans. She's on tour right now, so go see her if you get a chance. (www.afinefrenzy.com)
4. The Airborne Toxic Event (The Paradise, 3/7/09). Well first of all, during the encore, they threw out cheap tamborines into the audience. I got to go up onstage with my tamborine and a handful of other fans to dance around during "Missy." This band is so tight live, and they sound awesome every time I see them. It's also refreshing to see a group of musicians who can play so many instruments well. This isn't just a bunch of guys who decided they wanted to be rockstars so they picked up guitars. Rather, The Airborne Toxic Event are trained many instruments including the viola and the cello. Another must-see live band.
5. Good Charlotte with Something Corporate and Mest, (UMass Amherst, October 10, 2003) Yes, this was my first concert. I went with one of my best friends, Veronika, and we had an absolute ball. At the time, I was completely obsessed with Good Charlotte (and even now, I will defend them, so don't mess with me!). I counted down to this concert for months. It feels like a dream now, it was so long ago, but I was always treasure the memories from this show.
6. Sugarcult (Framingham, MA Community Center, sometime in winter or spring of 2008, I think). This was the most punk-rock show I have ever been to. I know, SUGARCULT?!? Punk rock? They were label-less and playing at this deserted community center full of local high school kids. The atmosphere was so laidback and intimate though. Sugarcult interacts with the crowd anyway, but at a show that size, lead singer Tim Pagnotta spent half his time joking with fans. Then, at 11 pm, the cops showed up and said it was curfew time. Sugarcult was not even half way done their set, and they refused to stop. They kept playing until the sound was cut off, and afterwards, they hung out in the lobby to talk to fans and apologize for the short set.
7. Green Day (Verizon Wireless Arenain Manchester, NH. Spring 2004). Green Day is without a doubt the greatest live band I have ever seen. It's not a "show," it's a masterpiece. There is no way to put into words just how mindblowing a Green Day show is. I know several people who don't even care about the band's new songs, but will still go to see them just for the epic performance. So seriously, drop what you're doing and go see them right now.
(This video is from their Bullet in a Bible DVD, not my show. But it really captures how completely awesome Green Day is live).
8. Blaqk Audio (The Roxy, 9/10/07) The first time I got to see and meet my idol, Davey Havok. He and fellow AFI member Jade Puget were on tour promoting their side project. I shook Davey's hand after the show and was in shock for the next week.
9. Jimmy Eat World (The Orpheum, October 2007, I think). Yet another one of the best live bands I've ever seen. The music is even more perfect and beautiful live. And the fans are pretty chill and normal, so it's nice not to have to deal with screaming teenyboppers all night. 10. Fiona Apple (Bank of America Pavilion, July 21, 2006). Fiona is a little kooky to begin with, and when you put her on stage, she becomes even more insane. She flails around like she's possessed, but boy, has she got some pipes. Her music sounds amazing live. 'Nuff said.
So there are my top 10 concerts. What are yours? What bands do I need to see still?
This photo was taken by Stephen Albanese, a really talented photographer. It's hard to see in this size, but my roommates and I are in the crowd, and we were pretty proud to find ourselves in the picture.
A lot of people roll their eyes whenever I announce I'll be going to another Third Eye Blind show. Yes, just about everyone has a favorite band or musician but not everyone can comprehend the need to see the same group over and over again. I've seen 3EB 14 times so far (but of course there will be more) but compared to some of my college buddies, that's nothing.
But OK, so I admit that I have an addiction to 3EB shows. They're the only band that I will follow around on tour.
Honestly, for me there is nothing like the feeling of anticipation before Stephan Jenkins & Co. strut out on stage. Sure the set list doesn't change too much, and SJ cracks a lot of the same jokes. But every live show is a unique experience and I remember each of them vividly. UNH was the first time I ever saw them. Babson College was the first time I met the guys. Bamboozle '09 was just plain kickass. And that's only three of them. So as I wait impatiently for the lights to dim and the screaming to start, I wonder what I'll remember about this show. But no matter what happens, I know I'll go home feeling completely head over heels in love with my favorite band in the world. And needless to say, that's a damn good feeling.
I love the familiarity of their live show. It's like reuniting with four long-lost friends. No matter who long or short the time has been since the last time I saw them, everything's the same. Stephan's rock star antics, Tony's whacky faces, the couch that they all jam on. It's the little details that are comforting yet still exciting somehow. Not that every show is exactly the same--it's the spontaneous moments and set list surprises that keep it all fresh.
Never before have I loved a band as intensely as I love Third Eye Blind. The lyrics, the music, the live show, the guys themselves (well, sometimes). Like how one of the Band-Aids says in Almost Famous: "They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts." Well said.
The music reminds me of the past while still looking forward to the future (so I can see them again, obviously). It sounds good in the summer sunshine and in the bitter New England winters. When I'm sad, the music sounds sad but when I'm happy, nothing sounds cheerier. The music transcends every emotion I feel. I hope everyone finds their own 3eb some day.
