The Shins - Atlanta Civic Center - 10/17/07

God bless The Shins. They're such a cute band. They're a bunch of thirty somethings that look like guys you might know from around the way that happen to be in a really cool pop band. I mean, James Mercer, their frontman, had his shirt tucked in during the show. I think that says it all.
The actual show was interesting. It started slow but steadily gained momentum until it settled into the comfortable groove we've come to expect from these guys. We showed up right as they were starting and although we had great seats I was a little worried that I wasn't going to have that great of a time. The sound was a little lacking and I was kinda rushed into the whole thing. They started with Sleeping Lessons which was certainly fitting but it's a rocker and they aren't really the type of band that "fucking brings it". It might have been as simple as me not being warmed up (I've grown to respect the importance of an opening band regardless of whether they are good or not, half the fun is the anticipation). I finally got into about four songs in and they slowed it down with A Comet Appears. That was actually the best song of the set. It got quiet enough to highlight the strengths of the band, James Mercer's fragile sensibilty and his deft intimate lyrics.
They kept that momentum and played their staples Kissing the Liplessand New Slang. Everyone was swept away into the land of la-la's and oo-oo's. Just a PG bubblegum good time.
You do have to think that The Shins are the type of band that will be well known to those of us from this generation but maybe lost in the shuffle in the years to come. You know how when someone who is like 8 years older than you tells you about a band from the 80's that was really influential on REM and you have no idea what they're talking about...that's us in 7 years. But not to worry, it's now and The Shins are at the height of their run.

So Hot Right Now Vol.1

At the moment these are the tunes Hansel and I are listening to in heavy rotation. Go here http://www.sendspace.com/file/tweucd to download them. More volumes to come...

Kings of Leon -Fox Theater-10/9/07

So yeah, I was in the front row, hands on the stage, front row. It's hard for me to out into words what it was like there. Those of you who were there know what the fuck I'm talking about. And yes, that fuck was completely neccesary because those guys will rock your fucking balls off. Now I'm sure there are bands that rock as much as they do, The Strokes come to mind, but I don't think you could say anyone outdoes them. Now don't get worked up, I'm not saying they're better than Led Zeppelin or AC/DC, thats not what I'm talking about. I'm just saying of all the shows I go to now, these guys do it better than anyone else. They just work you into a frenzy and make everyone in the place rowdy as hell. Their show at the Tabernacle a few months ago was more condusive to their style because it was general admission and everyone in there was all sweaty and fired up, but this one was pretty amazing too. Aside from the 41 year old douche behind me asking me where my seats were and telling me he didn't pay "alot" of money to have some coon (he didnt really get racial, I just wanted to villianize him more) dancing in front of him blocking the stage, the show was perfect.
The bassist and I even had a special moment. During McFearless we made eye contact and he smiled at me like, "yeah yeah I'm killing this shit". Now I'm aware that mentioning this is uncool and slightly homo-erotic, but hey, man crushes and broners happen, deal with it.
There were almost too high many high points to mention any, but I remember Trani being kick ass and the entire encore was pretty hot. They started with Knocked Up and went straight into Charmer and had everyone screaming "Ahhhh, she's such a charmer, ohhh noo-oo" at the top of their lungs. They closed with So Night, So Long and when they were done yours truly got a drumstick from Nathan Followill himself.
After the show we were all too jacked up to go home and we went next door to Bazaar to get a drink and who walks in but the Kings. Obviously I didn't talk to them, I mean what would I say? I think I learned my lesson about talking to rock stars from Carina Round. But I could have, could have, if I had wanted to. I didn't talk to them, but I did the next best thing: I got stinking drunk rock star style. I would tell you more but thats about when
showed up. Now I know that looks like the grim reaper but its actually his nephew Ralph. He's waiting for his uncle to retire to take his job but for now instead of killing you he just makes you blackout, have a $100 bar tab and wake up in your bed the next day feeling like dogshit. Atleast I'm still alive, and from what I remember, I had a blast.

Rilo Kiley - Variety Playhouse - 9/29/07

Was Jenny Lewis as sexy as I had hoped, definitely. Was the show what I expected, not quite. It wasn't high energy, she wasn't jumping all around the stage. She danced to herself and looked cute. It was controlled and right on. The band is older now...Jenny is 30 so I guess I should have seen it coming. Especially after the release of their most recent cd Under The Blacklight. It is noticeably different from their previous two The Execution of All Things and More Adventurous; softer, more feminine. Maybe even closer to light rock. Still catchy as hell but the tone is different. Gone is the insecurity and guilt that was all over Execution in songs like "The Good That Won't Come Out" and "A Better Son/Daughter"; gone is the anger from More Adventurous on "Does He Love You" and "Portions For Foxes". Those emotions have been replaced by the self assuredness on "Silver Lining" where Jenny sings,

and I was your silver lining
as the story goes
I was your silver lining
but now I'm gold

hooray hooray
I'm your silver lining
hooray hooray
but now I'm gold

She sounds like she has finally found herself and is, pardon the term, "comfortable in her own skin". You can especially hear this on "Breaking Up", the groups' disco track. Jenny sings about a break-up with an ex and instead of brooding she's gay and breezy about it. When they played that song at the show it got the same response a "Like A Prayer" gets...when girls hear that song they all look at each other and make big eyes that say "oh my god, oh my god" and dance in a circle pretending that for those 4 minutes, guys don't exist. It's not that I can't reach down and find my inner gay man, I can get down with the best of them, I just felt like this time around the party wasn't catered to me. I was happy to be there nonetheless. I do miss the old Jenny, the one who would drop F-bombs all over the place, but I dig this one too. She's a little mellower and perhaps the most attractive thing about her is that she doesn't seem to give a shit about me, she's who she is. And when I say she doesn't give a shit, that isn't laced with any defensiveness, she's just unconcerned with external judgement. Perhaps that's what growing up is, hopefully when I grow up I can do it gracefully as she has.